To Each Ending, A Beginning
by Elle917
Summary: Sequel to Chasing the Moon. No one ever said that love was easy, but very few things that are worthwhile are. IchiRuki, HitsuKarin, ByaYuzu. Semi-AU.
1. From the beginning again

**A/N: **I originally wanted to go with another "moon" title for this story to round everything out, but I couldn't come up with one that wasn't tacky, and so I present to you the third (official) installment of the _Phases/Chasing (Phasing?) _series, _To Each Ending, A Beginning. _Good luck shortening that one. _Endings, _maybe?

So, my vision for this story is to obviously focus on the ByaYuzu pairing, but to give HitsuKarin and IchiRuki progression and weight. (Maybe not EQUAL progression and weight. I'd like to, but I won't promise it because my brain and fingers love to steer the story towards ByaYuzu even when I don't want it to, but MAJOR progression and weight). I know the direction I'm going to take each couple through, I know where they start and where they end, so fingers crossed that it all works out!

Regarding the geography of Seireitei, I'm aware that the barracks aren't actually stuck to each other and that they occupy different positions around Seireitei, but I've had omakes and other things about Ichigo literally being able to lean over the wall of the Fifth to look into the Sixth, and I can't get it out of my head now. XD So by some quirk of fate, there is at least a small area where the Fifth and Sixth Division grounds overlap with each other (maybe the very, very back end of the Fifth's compound shares a wall with one of the well-used areas of the Sixth).

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Bleach. At all.

* * *

**Chapter 1: From the beginning again**

* * *

The Kuchiki Manor was quiet the morning after the wedding, as if the whole world had held its breath. Servants moved through the halls, taking down decorations and putting away the tables and chairs that had been set out for the guests, keeping their conversation to murmurs. It was as though the whole household was in a daze, as though the events of the day before had been a surreal dream, and every member of the Kuchiki House was trying to come to terms with the fact that it had been real. And of all the people living in the Kuchiki Manor, none were more conscious of this than the lord of the manor himself.

Kuchiki Byakuya ate breakfast slowly and in utter silence, his mind still working through the events of yesterday and the fact that he wasn't married to Nishimori Azami. The servants that waited on him seemed to tell that he was in an unusually contemplative mood. They said nothing as they served the food and cleared the plates, saving their conversations for the hallways and kitchens. It was only at the end of his meal that Maki came to him personally, removing the last of the dishes from in front of him and refilling his cup with tea.

As head of staff, she was the only one of his servants who would have dared to speak at that moment, as someone who had worked in the Manor since his childhood, she was most likely the only one who felt the need to.

"Will you be leaving for your Division today, my lord?" she asked.

Byakuya responded without looking at her, his eyes drawn to the way the steam curled over the rim of his cup of tea. "I will."

"I see," said Maki. "Then…if my lord will permit me to be so bold as to make a suggestion, you should speak to Yuzu-dono. I imagine she is still very confused."

Byakuya thought of Yuzu, thought of the way she had acted around him in the gardens yesterday, the shyness with which she had spoken his name. They hadn't had much chance to speak yesterday, with most of the conversation being dominated by her family. By the time the situation had been cleared up, there had only been enough time for a hasty goodbye.

He drew in a breath. "That was always my intent."

"I see." Maki bowed, the dishes still in her hands. "Then, if my lord will excuse me."

He barely noticed her leaving the room, his eyes still fixed on the coiling puffs of steam.

* * *

Yuzu exhaled over her cup, her breath forming little ripples across the surface. All around her, the shinigami of the Sixth ate and drank with gusto, but her stomach felt like it had been tied up in knots ever since this morning. She took a small sip in an attempt to calm the butterflies, drumming her fingers along the side of the cup.

A part of her still couldn't believe that yesterday had really happened, that she was actually engaged to Byakuya. Waking up in the vice-captain's quarters and staring up at the familiar ceiling, it was easy to believe that that had only been a dream. That was, of course, until she stepped outside and found herself assaulted with congratulations, confirming that all of that had been real. She picked at her food, trying not to jump each time someone walked past her in the mess hall, her eyes occasionally straying to the clock.

He would be here soon. What was she supposed to say to him? How was she supposed to behave? Would he expect her to greet him the way she always had, or was she supposed to use a more intimate greeting?

The image of a kiss flashed through her mind and Yuzu's face flushed. She nearly choked on her food as she shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Fukutaicho?"

Shiyougi's voice behind her nearly made her hit the ceiling. Yuzu jumped, her eyes wide as she swiveled around to look behind her. "O-O-Ohayou, Shiyougi-san!" she said quickly.

"Are you alright?" asked Shiyougi, blinking at her. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"I'm fine, Shiyougi-san." Yuzu took a deep breath to calm herself down, her heart still pounding. "You just startled me, that's all."

"Is that so?" Shiyougi frowned at her, scratching the back of his neck. Yuzu straightened up, a sheepish smile on her face.

"Um—was there something you needed, Shiyougi-san?" she asked.

"The captain just arrived," said Shiyougi. "He's in the office. Thought you might want to know."

_The captain. _

Those two words sent Yuzu's stomach fluttering all over again. She rose to her feet, abandoning the cup of tea and what was left of her breakfast. "Thank you, Shiyougi-san," she said, smiling. "I—I should go talk to him."

_Easier said than done. _

Yuzu moved through the mess hall at a steady pace, doing her best to ignore the eyes of the other members of her division as she walked over to the office door. Once she was in front of it, though, she found that she couldn't bring herself to open it. She shook her head, telling herself she was being silly, and slowly opened the door.

He was sitting at his desk at the far end of the room, the same way he always was, papers spread out in front of him. As Yuzu stepped into the room, he looked up at her, and she caught in his eyes the same kind of hesitance that was present in her own. She took a deep breath, closing the door behind her.

"Good…good morning," she said. "Byakuya."

The name felt strange and unfamiliar on her tongue; she was sure she said it softer than she had spoken the rest of the sentence.

"Good morning…Yuzu," Byakuya said in reply, quickly glancing back down at his papers. Yuzu exhaled softly, walking over to her desk. She sat down in front of her own work, pulling a stack of papers closer to her.

Yuzu reached out, slowly beginning to sort through them. As she worked, she couldn't help but look up and glance at Byakuya. He seemed thoroughly absorbed in his work, but strangely…agitated. Once in a while, she caught him glancing up at the same time as she did—the two of them quickly glanced away.

"Did you…" she began, in an attempt to clear the tension in the air. "…did you have a good night?"

"…Yes," said Byakuya. "And yourself?"

"Oh, um, it was good," said Yuzu. "Very…quiet." As soon as the words came out, she winced inwardly, turning her attention back to the page. Quiet? Really? Was that the best she could do?

"As was mine," said Byakuya.

"That's…nice." Yuzu took a deep breath, staring back down at the form. Her heart pounded, and the words swam in front of her, so that she could hardly make sense of them. She stared at them for a few moments longer before deciding that this was useless and sitting up.

"Um—," she began, louder than she intended. "I—."

Byakuya paused, looking over at her, and Yuzu looked away to hide the flush on her face. "I'm going to go see Karin-chan!" she said hurriedly, getting to her feet. "We didn't have a chance to talk after—last night—and she wanted me to come over."

"I…I see," said Byakuya, slowly. He looked back down at his page. "Give your sister my regards."

"Okay!" said Yuzu, quickly leaving the room.

Once she was outside, she leaned against the office door, staring up at the ceiling and letting out a long breath. Her heart was still pounding, her stomach roiling both out of embarrassment and from the situation as a whole. She pressed the palm of her hand over her face, squeezing her eyes shut at the memory of those last few moments.

_What is wrong with me?_

* * *

"So, um, that's the story," said Yuzu, looking over at her sister. The two of them were seated across the floor from each other in Karin's room, Karin leaning with her back against the wall. Karin's arms were folded, a frown on her face as she watched her twin. Outside, the two of them could hear the shouts of Eleventh Division members sparring in the training yard.

"I can't believe you didn't say anything," she said. "Ten years. I kind of picked up on a little bit of it, but why didn't you tell me?"

Yuzu flushed, lowering her eyes to her knees. Her fingers curled into fists over her thighs. "I don't know," she said. "It didn't seem important. I didn't think anything would come out of it, so…"

Karin sighed, tilting her head back and looking up at the ceiling. "Fine," she said, "I forgive you." Yuzu relaxed, letting out the breath she was holding. She tensed again when Karin looked back at her, meeting her eyes. "So, if that's the case, why are you here? Shouldn't you be…you know, talking to him right now or something?"

Yuzu glanced away, her hands tightening back into fists. The memory of their halting conversation still burned in the back of her mind. "I—tried, but it was awkward. I didn't know what to do. So, I…" She shook her head, trailing off as she looked back at her twin.

Karin's frown deepened, and she sat up, her eyes on her sister. "I thought this was what you wanted," she said.

"It—it is," said Yuzu. "But earlier today, taicho—I mean, Byakuya…" She trailed off again, lowering her eyes. How could she explain it to Karin? It was as though in all of her interactions with him, there had been a barrier between them. Both of them had known it existed, and maybe there were times when both of them wished the barrier wasn't there. But it had become a comfortable presence, something they both understood, and from behind that barrier, they had been able to speak to each other. Now, the barrier was gone, and neither of them seemed to know where to draw the lines.

But she couldn't put all of that into words. So she sat there, hoping that somehow, her twin would pick up her meaning.

Karin seemed to understand. She sighed again, leaning back against the wall and closing her eyes. When she opened them, she wasn't looking at Yuzu, but at the wall directly over her shoulder. "Well, of course it would be awkward," she said. "You can't just go from nothing to being engaged overnight without some kind of awkwardness."

"But what do I do, Karin-chan?" asked Yuzu, looking up at her twin. "I don't know how to deal with…" Her face flushed. "…with this."

"Have you tried telling him about it?" asked Karin, meeting her sister's eyes.

"I don't know if I can…" said Yuzu.

Karin's eyes narrowed. "Try," she said. "Look. As much as I don't like it, the two of you are stuck together. If you want to make this work, you're gonna need to be able to talk to him about stuff like this. You're not…you're not the best at telling people how you feel—none of us are—but you need to open up." She took a deep breath, watching her sister as Yuzu looked away, staring down at the ground. Her expression softened. "You love him, don't you?" she asked.

"Yes…" said Yuzu, her hands shaking slightly as they tightened again. "I do."

"Then, you really should talk to him," said Karin. "Don't…don't wait."

Yuzu nodded, swallowing hard against the lump in her throat. She forced herself to breathe, to uncurl her fists as she looked up at her sister. "I…I will," she said, starting to rise. She smiled slightly, watching her twin. "Thank you, Karin-chan. You always know what to do."

Karin flushed, folding her arms and looking away. "I do not," she said, squeezing her eyes shut. "Get moving."

"Hai, hai," said Yuzu, shaking her head. She picked Jungetsu up off the floor, slipping the sword back into her obi. Yuzu turned, about to leave the room, and had almost made it to the door when Karin looked up.

"And, Yuzu?" said her twin. Yuzu looked back, a questioning frown on her face as she met her sister's eyes. "Good luck."

Yuzu nodded in acknowledgment as she turned to leave the room.

* * *

"She just ran off?" asked Ichigo, scowling as he glanced up at the other captain from his desk. "Yuzu did?"

"Keep your voice down," said Byakuya, his eyes narrowing as he glanced at the window. His brother-in-law might have been alone in his office, but that didn't mean he wanted everyone to know why he was here. He himself wasn't entirely sure why he had come, only that he knew he couldn't sit in his office after her departure. Ichigo followed his gaze, rolling his eyes as he leaned back in his chair.

"Please," he said. "Hinamori already knows you're here, and Masa's probably figured it out."

Byakuya glanced away, the fingers of one hand curling inward. He felt…embarrassed, he realized as he looked down at the ground. It wasn't something he had felt in a long time. He had faced countless enemies, had stood up against a thousand tragedies. He had been the captain of the Sixth Division for just over half a century now, the head of his clan for just a little bit longer. And yet, here he was, reduced to feeling embarrassed and asking for advice like a stammering schoolboy.

As an audience, Ichigo was wholly unsympathetic. He ran a hand through his hair, letting out a long sigh as he set the papers in his hand down.

"I can't believe I'm having this conversation," he muttered to himself, before meeting Byakuya's eyes. "Look. I know you're not the most open of people, but have you tried, you know, _talking _to her?"

Byakuya glared at him. "I was trying," he said. "Did you not listen to a word I said?"

"That's not what I meant," said Ichigo. "I meant, talking to her about _this_. Your feelings, whatever. Take her out to dinner or something. Yuzu's great at reading people, but if you give her _nothing _to work with, she's going to think it's somehow her fault."

"That could not be…farther from the truth."

"Then _tell her_," said Ichigo. "Open up a little, dammit. Weren't you the one who was married before?"

Byakuya glanced away, the memory of Hisana coming back to him at Ichigo's words. Her last few moments, her eyes on his as the light faded away. With Hisana, he had certainly been more open. "Circumstances were…different back then," he said.

"Your feelings were different?" asked Ichigo, watching him carefully.

"No," said Byakuya, looking up. "But I was."

Ichigo held Byakuya's gaze for a long time before he sighed, looking away. "I wasn't kidding when I told you to take her out," he said, glancing at the stack of papers next to him. "Yuzu…doesn't need to be treated like a princess, but she'd probably be happy knowing that you cared."

"Perhaps…I'll do that," said Byakuya, watching Ichigo.

"Good." Ichigo looked up, glancing at the clock in the room. "You should probably get going," he said. "Rukia'll be here for lunch any minute now."

Byakuya nodded, his eyes moving towards the clock as well. There was a training session scheduled for after lunch. Yuzu would return to the Division soon. He had a few more moments to think about what he would say to her when she did. He turned to leave, then paused, remembering something else that he had come here to say.

"…Ichigo," he said, looking back at his brother-in-law. Ichigo looked up, watching him.

"Yeah?"

"Regarding Rukia," said Byakuya. "After…the wedding, she should change her name. It's perhaps long overdue."

Ichigo's eyes widened a fraction as he watched him. Byakuya knew that this was something he had been wanting for a long time, but the events regarding Kyoka Suigetsu's rise and Yuzu's betrothal had pushed the question to the back of his mind. It hurt in a way Byakuya would never have expected, letting Rukia go, but it was about time. Before Ichigo could say anything, Byakuya turned away, heading for the door.

"Byakuya," said Ichigo, making him pause. Byakuya stood in the office doorframe, looking back over his shoulder. Ichigo was still scowling, but his expression had become unusually contemplative, as though his irritation was directed inward now. "Yuzu…gave up a lot," he said. "For us. I haven't been able to do much more than protect her…" He trailed off, shaking his head as if he realized he was rambling. His eyes met Byakuya's again. "So you…treat her well. She deserves that much at least."

Byakuya looked away, his eyes moving towards the door. He thought back to the things Yuzu had said in Inuzuri, and the words she had written in her letter. He thought about how she had stayed by his side for ten years without complaint, how she had stood next to him at Hisana's grave.

"…If I had…a thousand lives, I could not give her everything she deserves. But I can try."

Ichigo said nothing more as Byakuya left, walking out the door.

* * *

Ichigo darted behind a tree as a group of Fifth Division shinigami jogged past, careful not to be seen. He waited until the group had passed before peering around the tree trunk, quickly making his way to the wall. A tree grew here, its branches hanging over the wall that separated the Fifth Division and Sixth Division's compounds. He paused at the tree trunk, glancing around to make sure that no one was watching, then quickly placed his hand on the lowermost branch. He pulled himself up into the leaves—

—and smacked his head right into Karin's.

"Ow, shit!" Karin cursed, squeezing her eyes shut and rubbing at her head. "What the hell?"

"That's my line!" said Ichigo, wincing as he rubbed at the top of his own head. Karin was crouched on a branch just above his, sitting with her back against the trunk and peering down into the Sixth's courtyard. Her eyes widened at the sound of his voice, and she looked down at him.

"Ichi-nii?" she asked. "What are you doing here?"

"What am _I _doing here?" Ichigo repeated, pointing at her. "This is my Division! What are _you _doing here?"

Karin flushed, quickly glancing away and folding her arms. "N-Nothing!" she said. As Ichigo continued to stare at her, she cracked open an eye, glaring down at him. "Why are you up here, anyway? Shouldn't you be working?"

"Ah, no reason," said Ichigo, quickly looking away.

"Hey, that's not an answer!" said Karin.

"Neither was the one you gave me—!"

"_Shh!" _

The both of them fell silent as a sliding door opened in the Sixth, flattening themselves against their respective branches. As they watched, Yuzu stepped out of the building, standing on the veranda that overlooked the training yard. She glanced around, a pre-occupied look on her face as she closed the door behind her. She held a stack of papers in the crook of her arm, and was ostensibly watching the group of shinigami practicing in lines in the courtyard, but her eyes wandered constantly, glancing to the left and right.

Ichigo's eyes widened in realization, and he glanced up at Karin, who was watching the scene intently. Karin stared down at Ichigo, her eyes wide as well.

Before either of them could say anything, another door opened in the Sixth, Byakuya stepping through. Yuzu's eyes widened as she noticed him, and she turned towards him, pulling her papers closer to her. Without thinking about it, Ichigo shimmied out further on the branch to get a better view. He looked up at the sound of rustling and saw that Karin had done the same thing, hiding herself behind a cluster of leaves. The two of them fell silent as the pair approached each other, watching.

* * *

Yuzu fought down a wave of rising panic as Byakuya moved towards her, papers crumpling as she pulled them close to herself. She could do this, she told herself. She just had to be open. Honest. It wouldn't be that much different from when she had talked to him before, except for the fact that she could use his first name now. She would open her mouth, greet him, and the two of them would talk, just like old times.

"Um—hi," she said as he came to a stop in front of her.

Alright. So much for that idea.

Yuzu swallowed, fighting down a blush as Byakuya's eyes landed on hers before quickly looking away. He paused, as if coming to a decision, and turned his eyes back to hers again. She curled one hand into a fist, fingernails digging into her palm as she prepared to speak. She opened her mouth—

—and was quickly cut off as Byakuya spoke first.

"Yuzu," he said, making her look up. "Would you care to join me for dinner?"

The words threw her mind into an entirely new loop. Yuzu blinked at him for a while, her carefully constructed sentences escaping her like loose paper on a windy day. "For…for dinner?" she repeated.

"Yes," said Byakuya. "It…occurs to me that with the chaos of yesterday's…events, we have not had any time to properly speak. I would like to…remedy that, if possible."

Yuzu stared at him as he waited for a response, her eyes wide as she noticed things she hadn't seen earlier—the way he seemed tenser than usual, his shoulders and back unusually rigid as his eyes fixed on hers. The strange, agitated way in which he drummed his fingers along the side of his hakama, smoothing out the fabric before sweeping it back again.

It wasn't just her, she realized. He was nervous too.

The thought flooded her with a strange sense of relief, and she felt herself finally start to relax, a smile appearing on her face. Warmth filled her suddenly, a wave of giddiness taking the cold edge off her earlier fear. She felt like giggling and managed, just barely, to resist the impulse.

She didn't think she'd ever seen Byakuya nervous before. It was almost cute.

"Dinner…sounds nice," she said. "I'd love to get the chance to talk with you too."

"Very…very well." Byakuya cleared his throat, and she caught the way he forced himself to school his expression, his eyes closing and opening. The tension remained in his shoulders and back though, marring his usual calm. "Shall we meet at seven?"

"Um, how about seven-thirty?" asked Yuzu, frowning as she looked through the papers in her arms. "You have that officer interview you're attending at five, right? I don't want you to have to rush in case it runs over."

The surprise appeared on Byakuya's face for only a moment before he masked it, his eyes cool again as he watched her. "Yes," he said. "The interview. With…?"

Yuzu smiled, already rifling through the papers in her hands for the appropriate sheet. "Miyata Seika," she said, handing it out to him. "She's from the accelerated class, has high marks in zanjutsu and kido, and she already has her shikai. Her father used to be the sixth seat of the Thirteenth Division."

Byakuya took the piece of paper from her wordlessly, staring down at it as if he had seen it a thousand times. This time, Yuzu couldn't quite hold in the urge to giggle. She muffled it with her wrist, looking away from Byakuya as he turned towards her.

"I have to go and help Shiyougi-san with some things, but I'll see you tonight," she said, dashing back into the building with a smile. "We need to talk about filling in those vacant officer positions too!"

Byakuya stood there for a few moments after Yuzu ran off, blinking and staring at the paper. A rustling sound from the nearby wall drew his attention, and his eyes narrowed sharply as he glanced at it. He thought he caught sight of movement out of the corner of his eye—a flash of orange and black ducking behind the wall—but upon closer inspection, there was nobody there. After a moment, he turned around, tucking the piece of paper into the inside pocket of his robes as he walked back into the Division.

* * *

Ichigo glanced at Karin as the two of them ducked down behind the wall, cautiously peering over the top. Byakuya was gone now, walking away from them. He exhaled a sigh of relief, turning towards his sister to sound the all clear.

"What are you two doing up there?" asked a sharp voice from the bottom of the tree.

Ichigo's eyes widened, and he lost his grip on the branch, sliding out of the tree and crashing to the ground. There was a thump, and then Karin landed on top of him, knocking the wind out of him.

Rukia stared down at them, her eyes narrowed and a frown on her face.

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED**

* * *

**Omake**

It was mid-afternoon when Karin was woken up from a nap by an insistent pounding at her door. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes, muttering under her breath as she got to her feet.

"What now?" she asked, opening the door.

Yachiru stood outside, bouncing up and down on her heels. She had her hands clasped behind her back, and wasn't looking at Karin. Karin blinked. Yachiru looked almost…_embarrassed _to be there. "Rin-chan!" she said. "Can we talk? I wanna ask a question about girly stuff."

"Um…" Karin gave the hall a sidelong glance before looking back at Yachiru. "You know, Yumichika's just a few doors down."

"No," said Yachiru. "I need to talk to an _actual_ girl."

"Okay…sure…" said Karin, backing away from her door. Yachiru darted inside, taking a seat on the edge of Karin's futon. Karin hesitated, before pulling up a chair.

"So?" she asked. "What is it?"

"Um…well…" Yachiru placed her hands on her knees, looking up at Karin. "What's it like to have a crush?"

_A crush? _Karin thought, blinking at Yachiru. _Does Yachiru like someone? _

She didn't voice her thoughts out loud, instead, looking up at the ceiling. "Uh—it's sort of hard to explain," she said. "I guess it kinda feels…nice, but a little awkward to be around the person you're crushing on. You blush a lot and sometimes can't come up with the right words. And you think about them all the time and are always aware of them when they're around you."

"Do you feel fluttery?" asked Yachiru, placing her hands over her belly. "Like, right here?"

"Yeah, sometimes," said Karin. She hesitated, then scooted her chair a little closer to Yachiru. "Why do you ask?"

Yachiru leaned back, propping herself up on her hands as she stared up at the ceiling. "Mm…I think I might like someone. Except I think they like someone else."

"Do you know they like someone else?" asked Karin, frowning at Yachiru. "Have they said anything?"

"No, not really," said Yachiru. "It's more of a feeling."

"Well, then, that doesn't mean anything yet," said Karin, shrugging. "Anything can happen. Don't give up."

"So you're saying I can still fight my rival?" asked Yachiru, sitting up. She blinked expectantly up at Karin.

"Um…sure," said Karin. "I guess."

"Yay!" said Yachiru, jumping to her feet. "Thanks, Rin-chan. You're good at this!" Before Karin could react, she grabbed hold of her sword, jumping straight through Karin's window with a grin.

"Yu-chan!" she yelled. "Let's fight for Byakushi!"

Karin's eyes widened, and she made a grab for the vice-captain. "Hey, wait!" she yelled. "That's not what I meant!"


	2. Those we love

**A/N: **Wow, 20 reviews already! I'm so glad so many of you support this story. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter, and thanks for being such a great audience!

**Magery, **I actually don't know what fic you're talking about, but I've always had it as personal headcanon that Yachiru has a little kid crush on Byakuya. Glad you enjoyed nervous!Byakuya though!

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Bleach. At all.

* * *

**Chapter 2: Those we love**

* * *

"_Uh, so…what's the most important thing about being a shinigami to you? _

"_I guess I would say it's being able to do the same job my father did. To be able to protect people the same way he did…although it's hard for me to pick any one important thing." _

"_So, if you had to choose between…" _

Byakuya stared down at the sheet of paper in front of him, the conversation in the room fading to the background. Outside, the fading sunlight shone into the Academy classroom, illuminating the desk in front of him with a deep golden light. A group of other captains occupied the chairs, their attention all drawn to the young Academy student standing in the center of the room, her hands nervously affixed to her sides. He tapped his pen on the corner of the blank sheet of paper, his eyes drawn to the lengthening shadows.

He still hadn't decided where dinner would be. Not the Sixth, certainly, and not the restaurant where he had taken Azami. Not the Manor, either. At that time of night, it would only invite more rumors and questions. Perhaps…

"Oi, Byakuya."

Ichigo's nudge and whisper made him look up, his eyes narrowed at the man next to him. Ichigo scowled in response to his glare, and it was only then that Byakuya realized the room had gone utterly silent, everyone turning to stare at him, including Miyata who was watching him expectantly. He looked away from Ichigo, his manner calm and unhurried as he turned towards the Academy student.

"What," he began, "does it mean to you to uphold the laws of Soul Society?"

* * *

The interview ended promptly at six, the group of captains leaving the room. Kyoraku Shunsui scratched at his head from underneath his straw hat, watching as Byakuya brushed past them, heading for the door. He glanced over at Ukitake, who was deep in a conversation with Miyata, asking her about her father and how he was doing in his retirement.

"Oi," said Kyoraku. "Does Byakuya seem…strange to you?"

"Strange?" Ukitake blinked, pulling away from his conversation to watch the captain. He frowned in thought. "Mm…I guess he's a little distracted."

Kyoraku smiled, shaking his head. "Well, well. I guess some things never change."

Ukitake paused to consider that, but looked up sharply as Ichigo exited the room, a scowl on his face and his hand on the back of his head.

"Ichigo!" Ukitake said, his face breaking into a smile as he turned to the man. "I never got a chance to congratulate you and Rukia-san…"

* * *

It was five-thirty in the afternoon when Yuzu finally slipped out of the Sixth, heading towards the Third Division. She slipped through the by now familiar halls, a bag of sweets in her hand. As she walked, she felt a twinge of guilt. She should have come here sooner, she knew, but circumstances had delayed her. Still, she was here now. She stopped in front of the door, pausing to put on her most sympathetic smile before knocking twice.

"Kohaku-chan?" she asked.

The door slowly opened, revealing her friend. Iwase Kohaku had bags under her eyes that told Yuzu she hadn't been sleeping very well since the last time she had seen her, and her room was slightly messier than it should have been, but there was more life in her eyes now than there had been last week.

"I brought food," said Yuzu, holding up the bag in her hand. "Can I come in?"

Kohaku hesitated, but pushed open the door further, letting Yuzu into the room. Yuzu walked in, stepping over a discarded kosode and settling herself on a floor cushion. Kohaku closed the door behind her, turning towards her friend.

"Sorry for the mess," she said, gesturing at the room. "I haven't had much time to clean in…a while." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear distractedly, and Yuzu heard what she didn't say as she looked away, her eyes sweeping over the room. _I haven't been in the mood for cleaning. _

"It's okay, Kohaku-chan," said Yuzu. "I don't mind."

Kohaku glanced at Yuzu, then glanced away, pulling up another cushion and sitting down in front of her. She didn't reach for the bag that Yuzu had placed between them, instead fiddling with the fabric of her hakama. The look she gave Yuzu was weary, but oddly grateful.

_I know I'm a mess, _it seemed to say. _But thanks for trying. _

"How are you doing, Kohaku-chan?" asked Yuzu, her expression softening. "Lately?"

"I'm…better," Kohaku said, looking up at Yuzu. "I'm still…not quite there. But I'm better. I started training again yesterday, but every time I go into my shikai…" She stared down at her hand absently, trailing off as she curled her fingers inward and flexed them again. A determined look crossed her face, and she shook her head suddenly, looking up at Yuzu. "Never mind that!" she said. "What about you? How are _you _doing since yesterday?"

"Oh, w-well—," Yuzu laughed nervously, feeling her face start to heat up. "You know. Just—pulling through."

"Is Tall, Dark, and Frozen everything you thought he'd be?" asked Kohaku, a sly smirk appearing on her face.

Yuzu flushed a deeper shade of red. "D-Don't call him that!" she said.

"Sorry," said Kohaku, flashing a quick grin that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Still, I'm glad things worked out, even though I'm sure it isn't what you expected." She glanced away again, and Yuzu caught the far-off look in her eyes as they swept over the mess in her room.

"Ah…well," Yuzu settled back into her seat, staring down at her hands in her lap. "It hasn't been easy. This morning, we could barely talk to each other. It got a little bit better in the afternoon, but still not by much."

Kohaku perked up a little at that, glancing over at Yuzu. "Not much romance yet, huh?" she asked.

"No, not much," said Yuzu, glancing down at the ground. "Really, I was worried things were going to be different, but so far, it's been pretty much a normal day."

She couldn't tell whether she was relieved or disappointed that that had been the case. Each time she had glanced up at Byakuya from her desk and saw him just sitting there, a part of her had been relieved, but for some reason, another part of her had been hoping he wouldn't be. That she would look up, and he would…

…Would what? She couldn't even answer that question.

Kohaku let out a sigh, folding her arms. "That Kuchiki-taicho," she said. "You'd think, since this is his third engagement, he'd be a little more romantic."

"Well, he did ask me out to dinner," said Yuzu, looking up. Her hands tightened around her hakama at the reminder, her heart quickening with the same nervousness she had felt earlier, laced with…what? Excitement? Anticipation? She couldn't explain it.

"Oh, that's good," said Kohaku, leaning back slightly. "At least he hasn't lost his touch." Her eyes widened, and she quickly sat up, moving so fast that Yuzu could barely track the movement. "Wait!" she said, staring at Yuzu. "You're going to dinner _tonight_?"

Yuzu blinked at her. "Um…yes?"

"You're going on a date _tonight_?!" asked Kohaku, her voice rising in pitch. "What time?"

"Seven—seven-thirty."

Kohaku's eyes moved away from Yuzu to glance at the clock, before looking back at her friend. "Seven-_thirty_? It's almost _six_! You have a date with a guy you've been crushing on since the _Academy! _What the _hell _are you doing talking to me?!"

"Uh—well—," Yuzu began.

Kohaku sprang up before she could say anything more, grabbing Yuzu by the arm and dragging her to her feet. "Come on!" she said. "You need to get ready! We have to find you something to wear! What were you thinking?"

Yuzu flushed, muttering something under her breath that she hoped Kohaku wouldn't be able to hear as she was dragged out through the hallway. Her friend's eyes widened anyway.

"Your _uniform?!" _Kohaku repeated, incredulous. "You are _not _wearing your _uniform_! What is _wrong_ with you?"

"B-But, Kohaku-chan—," Yuzu began, her eyes wide as shinigami of the Third stopped to give the two of the startled looks. Doors opened up and down the hallway as other shinigami peered out to see what the commotion was.

"Shut up and come with me!" said Kohaku. "We're going to fix this!"

Yuzu didn't say anything more, concentrating on not tripping over her own feet as Kohaku led her down the stairs and towards the barracks' gates, in the direction of the Sixth.

* * *

"So, Yuzu and Kuchiki-taicho are going out to dinner?" asked Toshiro, pausing for a moment in his paperwork to take a few bites from the white cardboard box set in front of him. He held his chopsticks in one hand, looking over at her.

"Yeah," said Karin, from where she sat cross-legged on the floor, a similar take-out box in her hand and a bag beside her. She paused to chew and swallow, looking back up at Toshiro. "Although who knows how that's gonna go."

"As long as they stay away from the Third's district, they'll be alright," said Toshiro. "That's where Matsumoto goes to drink." He paused, tilting the box back to eye what was left in it before using his chopsticks to shovel the last little bit into his mouth.

Karin eyed the empty desk in front of her, pausing in her own meal and frowning in thought. "Would Matsumoto and Kuchiki even run in the same circles?" she asked.

"You'd be surprised," said Toshiro. "Matsumoto can be picky about where she drinks."

"Hmm." Karin considered that, taking another bite of food.

A spike of reiatsu drew her attention suddenly, followed by a high-pitched shriek. Karin's eyes widened, and she sat up, halfway to her feet as she glanced at Toshiro. Toshiro's eyes were wide as well as he turned towards her.

"Was that…?" he began.

"Yuzu," said Karin.

"And…Iwase," said Toshiro.

The two of them stared at each other for a long moment, blinking, before Karin slowly settled back down, leaning her back against the side of the couch. "You know what?" she said. "I don't want to know."

Toshiro nodded, still looking stunned as he picked up his empty take-out box. He paused, staring down at it, before looking up at her. "Karin…" he began. "When you, uh, bought food, you didn't happen to…"

"Hai, hai." Karin reached into the bag at her side, picking up a package wrapped in paper and tossing it casually at Toshiro. "Amanatto."

Toshiro caught it in both hands, his eyes lighting up for an instant as he set it on his desk and tore the paper open. "Thanks," he said.

"Honestly," said Karin, rolling her eyes. "You're such a grade schooler sometimes."

Toshiro looked up sharply from his desk. "I am not a grade schooler!" he said, before glancing back down at the sugar-coated beans in front of him.

Karin smiled and shook her head, glancing away from him. "Whatever you say," she said.

A paper-wrapped package sailed through the air, landing squarely in her lap. Karin blinked, looking over at Toshiro, who was gathering the remaining beans into a small pile on a sheet of scrap paper. He didn't look up at her, a slight flush across his face. "Your half," he said.

Karin picked up the package, feeling a warmth spread across her cheeks as she turned the package over.

A single bean sailed through the air, slamming into the center of Toshiro's forehead. He slapped one hand over the area it had struck, his eyes narrowed as he looked up at her. "Hey! I didn't give you those so you could throw them at me! Who's the grade schooler now?"

Karin's response was to flash him a playful grin. She flicked another bean into the air, tilting her head back and catching it in her mouth.

* * *

Yuzu nervously tugged at her hair as Kohaku moved around behind her, her brow furrowed in concentration as she fussed with the folds of Yuzu's kimono. With Kohaku's help, Yuzu had managed to dig the bright orange piece out of the recesses of her closet. Kohaku had all but shoved her into it, systematically ignoring all of her protests.

"_It's too bright—!" "Bright colors look good on you, Yuzu-chan." _

"_What if he's not getting dressed up?" "So what? You'll still look good." _

"_It's too formal." "This is Kuchiki Byakuya we're talking about. There is __no__ such thing as too formal." _

Now, with only five minutes to spare Yuzu was almost ready, but the butterflies were back in force. She smoothed down the fabric of her kimono with one hand—it really didn't look too bright now that she was wearing it, the colors seemed more like a warm glow—and reached up to adjust the gold hairclip pinning her hair back. It had been a gift from her grandfather, the gold worked into the shape of a flower. She'd seldom had any occasion to wear it.

"Yuzu-chan…" Kohaku finished fiddling with her obi, straightening up to look over at her. "You're shaking."

"I'm not…" Yuzu began.

"Yes, you are." Kohaku paused, placing her hands on Yuzu's shoulders and looking over at her in the mirror. "Relax," she said. "It'll be fine. You look great."

"I—." Yuzu took a deep breath, doing her best to calm herself down and take the nervous edge off her mood. "I'm fine," she said.

"That's the spirit," said Kohaku, grinning at her.

A knock came at her door, making her jump. She turned her head towards it as a voice spoke. "Fukutaicho? You wanted to know when the captain arrived?"

Yuzu stiffened, her breath catching in her throat. Kohaku's grip tightened on her shoulders as Yuzu looked over at her friend. "Kohaku-chan, I'm not fine," she said hurriedly.

"You are," said Kohaku with a laugh. She turned, pushing Yuzu in the direction of the door. Yuzu's eyes widened as she stumbled forward, quickly thrusting a foot out in front of her to keep her footing. As she looked back over her shoulder, Kohaku raised her hand in a wave. "Go on. Don't keep him waiting."

Yuzu swallowed, working her way past the dryness in her throat as she walked up to the door. Her heart was beating hard enough to drown out all other sound, and as she reached up to open the door, she thought her hand was shaking. It would be just like any other time, she told herself, pushing the door open. It wasn't as if they hadn't had dinner together before.

She forced herself forward, and before she knew it, she was already in the hallway. Yuzu took a breath of cool night air, forcing herself to make her way slowly towards the exit. She could feel eyes on her from the doors on either side of her, and thought about scolding her officers for spying, but she didn't trust her voice. She ignored the stares, rounded the corner, and came face to face with Kuchiki Byakuya.

Yuzu's breath caught in her throat again, raising her eyes to meet his. Like her, he had changed out of his shihakusho, making her suddenly glad that she had taken Kohaku's advice. He was dressed in green, with a silk hakama so dark green that it was almost black, and a haori draped over his shoulders. He wasn't wearing his scarf or his kenseikan; his dark hair fell unobstructed around his face, falling just slightly past his shoulders. He paused as he caught sight of her, and she thought she caught the barest expression of relief in his eyes, like he wasn't sure whether he should have changed either.

"Um, good evening," she said, forcing a smile on her face to break the silence. "Did the interview go well?"

The words had the intended effect, breaking through Byakuya's trance. Work had always been a safe topic for them, even in the week since the confrontation with Kyoka Suigetsu. He nodded.

"It went…as well as could be expected." He held out his hand to her. "Shall we go?"

Yuzu reached out with hesitant fingers, taking the offered hand. His fingers closed around hers, warmth spreading across her skin at the contact. His grip on her hand was light, almost uncertain, as though he wasn't sure whether or not he would scare her away, and she lowered her eyes as she came to walk next to him, feeling a blush start to color her cheeks. They walked through the halls in silence, Byakuya keeping his gaze fixed straight ahead of him and Yuzu keeping her eyes to the ground.

"…It suits you," he finally said, when they were in the courtyard of the Sixth. The words made her look up.

"Sorry?" she said.

"Your kimono," said Byakuya, still not looking at her. "It suits you."

"Oh." The heat rose to her face, her hand tightening around his briefly. Her other hand nervously smoothed down the cloth below her obi. "Thank you."

He nodded, the two of them lapsing back into silence as they neared the gate. As the walls of the Sixth appeared in front of them, Yuzu cleared her throat, looking up. "You're—uh—you're not wearing your kenseikan."

Byakuya's grip tightened on hers for a brief moment, that and the tensing of his shoulders the only outward sign of his self-consciousness. "Does it bother you?" he asked.

"No," said Yuzu, glancing away and tucking a loose strand of hair back behind her ear. She smiled, her blush deepening. "I…kind of like it."

Byakuya said nothing in response, but he did avert his gaze, his hand holding hers more firmly as he quickened his step. Yuzu followed, and as they slipped past the Division gates, a memory came back to her. She couldn't resist the soft laugh that slipped out, muffled by the sleeve of her kimono.

He paused at the sound, releasing her hand and looking back at her questioningly. She felt strangely disappointed by the loss of contact, but didn't say anything as she pulled her hands back to herself. "Is something wrong?" he asked.

"No," she said, lowering her hand. "I just…was somehow reminded of the first time we spoke. At your Manor. Do you remember?"

"…I remember," said Byakuya, the two of them continuing to walk. "You addressed me by my title."

"Mm," said Yuzu, smiling. "I didn't know what to say to you, so I went with that, but you looked so surprised that at first I thought I said something wrong. Later, I realized that you were surprised because I had actually gotten it right."

"If you must know," said Byakuya. "I was considering how you could possibly be related to Kurosaki Ichigo."

"I was just scared," said Yuzu, looking up from the ground to focus on the road ahead of them. "You seemed so cold, so unreachable. I didn't want to offend you. But when you looked up at me, and I saw that you were surprised, I realized something."

"Oh?" Byakuya turned towards her, frowning in question. "And what was that?"

"That you were human after all," said Yuzu, the warm smile still on her face. She tensed as Byakuya said nothing, her blush returning as she lowered her eyes, clasping her hands in front of her. She realized he was staring. "Sorry," she said. "I'm rambling."

"Don't…apologize," said Byakuya, looking away from her. "I took no offense."

Yuzu smiled, feeling some of the pressure that had been on her shoulders start to ease. She was still tense, but it seemed easier to breathe now. She focused her eyes on the road ahead of them, letting Byakuya take the lead as they turned onto one of Seireitei's main thoroughfares, walking past the gates and lit windows of the Fifth.

"…Byakuya?" Yuzu asked, the name still feeling awkward on her tongue as she looked up. "Where are we going?"

"I was considering a restaurant in the Third Division's district," Byakuya replied. "It is not overly formal, and is usually quiet. I used to eat there with my father, when he would finish his work at the Division." He paused, looking back at her. "Is that acceptable to you?"

"It sounds lovely," said Yuzu, her smile brightening as she fell into step beside him.

Somehow, their hands found each other again.

* * *

Rukia sat curled up on a couch in the Fifth Division's office, her sketchbook spread out across her lap. She drew with one hand, using the other to pick up food from the plate beside her. Across from her, Ichigo sat at his desk, his own plate of food half-eaten and a scowl on his face as he studied the Division roster. The Fifth had taken heavy losses from the night of the betrayal, especially in the officer corps, and Rukia knew that he and Hinamori were still deep in the business of rebuilding again. She focused on the lines she was drawing, moving her pen across the page in quick, sure strokes and pausing only to take another bite to eat.

"What else did Ukitake say?" Ichigo asked after a while, looking up.

"Just that," said Rukia, frowning. "Administrative work only for the next nine months, and I can take some leave after the baby is born. He offered to give me more leave than that."

"But you said no," said Ichigo.

Rukia nodded, pursing her lips as she considered the next part of her drawing. She made a decision, quickly scribbling something down. "As sickly as Ukitake-taicho is, I don't want to burden him by being gone longer than necessary. I'm sure I'll find a way to cope." She smiled. "Nii-sama offered to send us a nurse."

Ichigo made a face, not pausing in his writing as Rukia looked over at him. "Let's not talk about Byakuya right now," he said.

Rukia frowned at him. "Come on, Ichigo, you can't still be mad," she said. "Yuzu is old enough to make her own decisions."

"I'm not mad," said Ichigo, scowling. "I just—don't want to talk about it. What are you drawing anyway?"

Rukia's eyes lit up at that, a grin on her face. She sat up onto her knees, turning the sketchbook around to face him. "I'm glad you asked, Ichigo!" she said. "These are the plans for the new and improved Kurosaki-Kuchiki house!"

"Uh-huh." Ichigo stared at the sketchbook, not looking convinced.

Rukia went on, undeterred as she pointed to various parts of her drawing. "Here's the master bedroom—it's in the same place as it always was, except bigger. You know, in case we ever get attacked again. Here's the living room, the dining room, the kitchen, and here's the room for the baby!" She pointed enthusiastically to a room in the corner of the page.

Ichigo's expression never changed. "We're having a marshmallow?" he asked.

"It is not a marshmallow!" said Rukia, her eyes narrowing as she pointed at the picture. "It's a baby Chappy!"

"Ah…" Ichigo's tone was resigned, as though he had learned over time to not question things anymore. "Why is it sticking its tongue out?"

"That's a pacifier!" said Rukia.

"Is that a boy Chappy or a girl Chappy?"

"It's a gender-neutral Chappy, because I will love it anyway!" Rukia declared.

"I…see." Ichigo stared at her, then quickly glanced back down at his work, as if deciding it was better not to say anything. Rukia frowned, holding her sketchbook in both hands and sitting back as she looked over at him.

"Oi, Ichigo," she said. "If you don't like these plans, you need to say something, because I'm finalizing them tomorrow."

"Nah, it's fine," said Ichigo, waving his hand. His eyes widened as he realized something, and he looked up. "Wait a minute. You're making _those _the final plans?"

"Yes…?" said Rukia. "What's wrong with that?"

"Ah, well…" Ichigo scratched the back of his neck, droplets of sweat forming on his head. "Don't you think you should…uh…put the in a format builders can understand?"

"I'm giving these to Nii-sama," said Rukia. "He's dealing with the builders."

"Okay, never mind. They're fine," said Ichigo, looking back down.

Rukia smiled, shaking her head as she set the sketchbook down on her lap. She turned her attention to the window, her eyes passing over the clock on the way there. From what Ichigo had told her, her brother would already be at dinner by now.

She silently wished them both luck, before picking up her sketchbook again. Her fingers brushed over the small rabbit in the corner of the image, her smile softening as she traced the lines lovingly.

_You do not look like a marshmallow, _she thought towards it. _Even if your father has no eye for art. _

With the smile still on her face, she picked up her pencil, starting to draw again.

* * *

"That woman needs to learn to control her impulses." Byakuya led Yuzu down a path from the restaurant, his eyes narrowed into a glare and a scowl on his face. His grip on her hand was firm, his steps quick as they moved along the street. Yuzu hurried to keep up, her free hand on the skirt of her kimono to lift it. She gave him a smile, drawing up beside him.

"Rangiku-san means well," she said. "I'm sure she was just having a little fun."

"A vice-captain of the Gotei 13 should not behave like—like that," Byakuya said. He slowed to a walk, looking back at her. "Yuzu, I apologize. That is not how I wanted this evening to go."

"Oh, um, that's alright," said Yuzu, letting go of her kimono to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "I had a good time at dinner." She smiled. "Really."

-Byakuya seemed to relax slightly at that, looking away from her. His eyes swept over the path ahead of them, his grip on her hand loosening slightly. "I'm…glad," he said, falling silent again.

Yuzu smiled, drawing up next to him. Silence enveloped them, but it was a comfortable silence, not the tense silence of earlier. It was the sort of silence she had grown used to, in the years that she had been working with him. She adjusted her fingers in his hand, shifting her grip slightly as she came up beside him. Her mind began to wander as she walked, her eyes sweeping over the path ahead of them as she remembered the last few moments at the restaurant.

They were taking a circuitous route back to the Sixth, taking side streets and avoiding the main thoroughfares. Their walk led them through a small grassy area, a grove of trees surrounding them on either side of the path. The ground sloped down slightly from the path on their right, leading down to a small pond. It was the night of the new moon, and the sky above them was dark, dotted only by stars. The path they were on was lit by lanterns, darkness blanketing the space around them. In that darkness above the pond, Yuzu thought she saw one flickering light, followed by another. Her eyes widened as she realized what they were, one of the lights passing just in front of her before fading away.

"Byakuya, look," she said, tugging on his hand. "Fireflies."

Byakuya came to a stop, looking over her shoulder at the pond. Yuzu stared. It was early for fireflies, barely mid-April, but there they were, flitting through the air in force. In the shadows caused by the new moon, they seemed like stars, flitting across the surface of the water.

On impulse, she released Byakuya's hand, gathering up the skirt of her kimono in her other hand and sliding down the slope. She slid a little farther than she intended, taking a quick step to right herself as she regained her balance. Yuzu dropped her kimono back down with a smile, reaching out with both hands to gently capture the nearest firefly.

It sailed into her cupped hands, its light gently pulsing. Yuzu closed her hands, looking back over her shoulder at the road. She opened her mouth about to call to Byakuya, but stopped when she realized that he was standing right in front of her, a slightly confused look in his eyes.

"Yuzu," he said. "What are you doing?"

Yuzu's smile widened, and she held her cupped hands up, the light slowly filtering through the spaces between her fingers. He stared down at her hands quizzically. "Fireflies," she said, as an explanation. "Didn't you ever catch fireflies as a kid?"

Byakuya stared down at her hands, slowly reaching up to cup them with his own. He gave her an imperceptible shake of the head. As his hands touched hers, the firefly slipped through the gap between her palms, floating up through the space between them. Byakuya followed the firefly's movement with his eyes, stopping when they met hers.

The firefly hovered between their faces, blinking twice before vanishing from sight. Yuzu looked up, giving Byakuya an embarrassed smile.

* * *

"When I was really little, my mother used to take us out to see the fireflies," Yuzu said, watching the way the lights flickered across the surface the pond. "Karin-chan, Ichi-nii, and me. Ichi-nii used to catch them for us, and Karin-chan and I would chase them until we fell asleep. Somehow, we always managed to wake up in our beds."

The two of them were seated beneath the tree nearest the pond, watching the fireflies. Byakuya held her hand, their fingers interlocked together. As she spoke, he occasionally ran the back of his hand across her knuckles, or paused to brush the pad of his thumb across her skin. The touches were feather-light, tentative and exploratory as though he had never held another person's hand before. He didn't say anything as she spoke, but occasionally, Yuzu caught his eyes on her. Hesitantly, she leaned back, shifting so that there was only an inch of space between his shoulder and hers. When he didn't react, she leaned back fully, resting against him. He said nothing, but his grip tightened briefly around her hand, his reiatsu crackling against her skin. His presence enveloped her, and Yuzu realized with a start that she liked that.

It felt safe. Warm.

She smiled, relaxing as she allowed herself to settle back. She shifted her grip in his, running her thumb lightly over his fingers. He said nothing, but she caught the way his eyes were fixed on their joined hands.

"I was really scared," she admitted, her voice soft. "This morning. I didn't know how to act in front of you."

"You were scared of me?" Byakuya asked, his voice hushed. He didn't raise his eyes to her face.

"Not of you," Yuzu said. "But of how I would act around you. I've never…" She shook her head. "You've known me for all of my time in Soul Society. You know I've never been involved with anyone."

"The world of the living…" Byakuya began.

"There was never any time," said Yuzu, smiling. "…I was always busy. At home, in the clinic. There was a boy I liked, but that hardly matters anymore. Anyway, you can imagine…after spending so much time working with you, and then having this happen, I didn't know how to act. I was…I _am _afraid…that I'll do something wrong. Somehow…I don't want to embarrass you, or to do something that would chase you away."

Byakuya raised his eyes to hers as she spoke, his expression serious. He squeezed her hand lightly, making her look up. "You have…nothing to worry about," he said. "Just be as you are. As you have always been."

Yuzu's smile brightened in response, as she settled back down. "Thank you," she said. "I'm glad."

The two of them fell silent again, Yuzu turning her eyes to the stars. They shone brightly against the moonless sky, a hundred thousand pinpricks of white. The sight of them made her remember Inuzuri, made her think of another night, of other stars. She realized that they had never actually gone stargazing until now. The thought made her smile, and she leaned against him, letting him play with her fingers.

"You've never actually told me about your family…" she said, as the silence went on. "You know all about mine."

Byakuya looked up again, his eyes meeting hers. He gave her a questioning frown. "What do you want to know?" he asked.

"What were they like?" asked Yuzu.

Byakuya frowned, turning his eyes away from her to look at the pond. His eyes seemed to darken, his expression far-off as though he were trapped in a distant memory. "I never really knew my mother," he said. "She died when I was very young. I was close to my father, though."

"Kuchiki…Sojun-dono," said Yuzu, glancing up at him. "Right?"

He nodded, squeezing her hand again. "He was the vice-captain of the Sixth at that time, under my grandfather. Even as a child, my father was sickly. Not to the extent that Ukitake-taicho was, but enough that shinigami work was often strenuous for him. Despite that, he was very proud of his position. He was…a very kind man. You would have liked him."

"I wish I could have met him," said Yuzu. "He sounds like a good man."

"He would have liked you as well," said Byakuya, staring at the pond. "He was fond of Hisana, although he only knew her for a little while."

Byakuya paused, looking back at her. She looked up as he tensed, frowning at him in question.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I shouldn't be talking about Hisana."

Yuzu shook her head, sitting up. "I never wanted to replace Hisana-san in your heart," she said, meeting his eyes. "I just…wanted to know if there was room for me somewhere beside her."

Byakuya stared at her, his eyes widening at her words. Yuzu flushed as the silence dragged on, turning her face away. She opened her mouth, about to apologize for her forwardness, when he surprised her, his hand landing tentatively on her cheek. Yuzu turned back towards him, her eyes wide.

"…Byakuya?" she asked.

He kissed her, softly, his lips pressing gently against hers. Yuzu felt every muscle in her body tense, her heart jumping into her throat. Her thoughts fled in an instant, driven away by the warmth and the feel and the nearness of him. She felt electric, alive, and couldn't help the feeling of loss as he pulled away, breaking the contact all too soon. His eyes sought hers, his gaze soft, and Yuzu realized then that she had frozen completely.

"Yuzu…I apologize," Byakuya said, staring at her. "That was too forward of me. I…"

His words were cut off as she reached out, her fingers closing around the fabric of his robes as she pulled her towards him. She swallowed her fear, her eyes falling closed as she pressed her lips back against his. Warmth spread through her at the contact, and her grip loosened on him, her hand resting lightly on his chest.

Byakuya tensed in surprise for only a moment before he placed a hand on her shoulder to steady her, slanting his mouth against hers to deepen the kiss.

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED**

* * *

**Omake**

"Here!" said Kohaku, pulling a kimono out of Yuzu's wardrobe. "Try this on."

Yuzu stared at it, her eyes wide as she shook her head. "Kohaku-chan," she began. "You really don't have to—."

Her window caved in suddenly and with explosive force, a streak of black and pink bursting through it and landing on the ground in a tangle of wood and rice paper. Yuzu jumped back just in time, her eyes wide as a sheathed sword swiped through the air, barely missing her. Yachiru caught the sword in her other hand, the cord wrapped around her knuckles as she straightened up.

"Ya-Ya-Yachiru-chan," said Yuzu, quickly backing up. "What are you doing here?"

"Yu-chan!" said Yachiru, pointing at her with her sword. "I challenge you for Byakushi!"

Yuzu stared at Yachiru, her back to the wall. "For…for Byakuya?" she asked.

"Mm!" said Yachiru, nodding. "You're Byakkun's fiancée. That means if I defeat you, _I _will be Byakkun's fiancée! So let's fight!"

Yuzu stared, exchanging a glance with Kohaku, who was picking herself up off the floor, still holding the kimono. "Um…Yachiru-chan…that's not…"

"…That's not how things work in real life!" Kohaku shouted in reply.


	3. The path to our future

**A/N: **You guys, I'm not really planning anything with Miyata. She's just a side character to show that, yes, Byakuya and Yuzu still actually do work for their Division. There will be a few more like her (and already are: Shiyougi, Shirogane, Nagai, Kawamoto). She'll be a recurring side character and may spontaneously develop depth, plot involvement, and a personality (see: Shiyougi, Kawamoto, Nozomu, Maki), but she isn't going to get roped into ByaYuzu's romance plot.

**Magery, **Byakuya did say that in the last chapter, but he specifically said she could change her name _after _the wedding, and since they don't know when the wedding would be, but the house needs to be built now…Kurosaki-Kuchiki house it is.

Fun fact, I just finished reading _The Book of Family Traditions and the Art of War _by Yagyu Munenori, and in that book (which is about swordsmanship technique and Zen), he discusses something called the "moon in the water", which is the idea that stepping into an opponent's range to attack them should be like the moon casting a reflection on the water. Which is a pretty accurate representation of Yuzu's fighting style. Sorry if this chapter feels a little disjointed. I'm writing it in bits and pieces while at home visiting my family (who love to do stuff while I'm here, not that I'm complaining).

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Bleach. At all.

* * *

**Chapter 3: The path to our future**

* * *

The mass of cherry blossom petals swerved in the air, coming at her from her left side. Yuzu's eyes widened, and she quickly raised her left-hand fan, crouching down to brace herself as the blades struck the fan's side. She jumped back and out of the way as the petals threatened to overwhelm her, pivoting in the air as she landed so that she was facing the attack head on. Byakuya waved his hand and the petals changed direction, rising in the air before crashing back down on top of her. Yuzu sprang back, the wave of petals crashing towards the wooden floor of the training room.

Byakuya spread his hand open and the petals hovered just over the surface of the floor, narrowly avoiding ripping the room apart as Yuzu pushed off of the side of the wall, holding her fans out in front of herself and shooting towards him. He quickly recalled the petals as she approached, forming a domed shield in front of himself. Her eyes narrowed as Jungetsu's fans crashed into the shield, and she pushed herself forward, reiatsu crackling around her as she tried to break through. The petals shifted beneath her, so that for a while she sank into them, but Byakuya recovered quickly, pushing back with a surprising amount of force. Yuzu pushed back off her fans, flipping over twice in the air and landing on the ground.

Senbonzakura's petals followed, threatening to crash over her. Yuzu quickly held up her fan as she took a step back, but it was too late. The petals flowed around her fan, encasing her in a whirlwind of pink as Byakuya extended a hand out towards her. Her eyes narrowed, and she gripped her fans tighter. There was a pause, and then Senbonzakura's petals shot outward as Yuzu flipped over in the air and moved her fans around her quickly, her movements creating trails of blue energy around her that pushed the petals back. She leaped into the suddenly clear air, forming a platform of reishi beneath her feet that she used to launch herself at him.

Yuzu flash-stepped quickly as she felt Senbonzakura's petals regroup, appearing directly in front of him, just inside of his safety margin. She paused to flash him a smile, her right hand fan beginning to snap upwards. Byakuya glanced down at her, his eyes cool as he stepped to the side, both of his hands gripping her arm. Yuzu's eyes widened, the smile fading as she found herself suddenly pitching forward, tumbling to the ground. She shifted her body so she rolled over her shoulder, quickly flash-stepping out of the way as Senbonzakura's petals came crashing through. One of the petals snaked past her guard, slicing a thin line across the back of her hand. The sight of it made her breath catch, reminding her that training exercise or not, she couldn't afford to let down her guard. She jumped back as Senbonzakura's petals swirled around her, threatening to overwhelm her.

Yuzu's eyes narrowed as she glanced down at her fans, white mist beginning to rise off of their surface as the air around them rippled. When the attack came through, she raised her fan, blocking it off-handedly with her eyes fixed on Byakuya. The world rippled around her, the image of her blocking his attack remaining fixed behind her as she charged forward, appearing behind him. Byakuya's eyes narrowed as the image rippled and faded, and he quickly glanced behind him as she appeared, her fans moving swiftly through the air as she spun to face his back.

He stepped forward, his other hand bringing up Senbonzakura's empty hilt. Yuzu came to a sudden stop as his sword suddenly reformed, the tip of the blade coming within an inch of striking her torso before freezing there. She landed on the ground, breathing hard, her fans still frozen in the air.

Byakuya's eyes met hers. "Yield," he said calmly. Yuzu exhaled, before slowly lowering her fans back to her side, snapping them shut. The reiatsu pouring into them receded, the blades sinking back into the tines and disappearing from sight. He took a step back slowly at her gesture, lowering his sword. Jungetsu began to glow, reforming back into its sealed state. Yuzu sheathed her blade as Byakuya did the same, their eyes coming up to meet each other's again.

"You're improving," said Byakuya, "But your Shinkyo is becoming predictable. Using it opens up more avenues of attack than simply attacking from behind. Had you simply continued to attack head-on, it might have been more successful."

Yuzu nodded, bracing her thumb in her sword's guard to keep it in place. "I considered attacking from the front, but you were ready to defend yourself in that direction. I thought the back would be easiest, but I'll reconsider next time." She wiped the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand, then winced as ripples of pain lanced through her shoulder.

Byakuya's expression softened at her sudden change of expression, and he took a step towards her. "…Are you alright?" he asked, removing his hand from his sword.

"I'm fine," said Yuzu, rubbing at her shoulder. She cringed as her hand pressed against a particularly sore spot, removing it. "I think I just pulled something."

"Let me see," Byakuya said, taking a step closer to her. At his words, Yuzu dropped her hand to her side, her eyes moving down to the ground as he placed his hands over the affected area. She fought down a blush at the nearness of him, exhaling through her teeth as she felt a cool pulse of reiatsu seep into her skin, soothing the affected muscle and encouraging it to heal.

"I—I think it happened when I took a roll," she said, to fill the silence between them. "I'm out of practice."

Byakuya nodded, using his fingertips to prod gently at the injury. His hands on her brought to mind the events of their date two nights before, and she felt her heart speed up in anticipation, the heat rising to her face. She couldn't help but feel disappointed when he pulled away, lowering his hands back to his side.

"Better?" he asked.

She rolled her shoulder experimentally. "Much," she said, giving him a smile. "Thank you."

"I'm glad." He held her gaze for a moment more before turning away, walking over to the corner of the room where they had left water and other supplies. Yuzu watched him go, holding her arm close to herself. She could still feel her heart beating quickly, although it was already beginning to slow down. They were in one of the Sixth Division's training rooms in the middle of the day. She didn't know what she had been expecting. Certainly, nothing like _that_.

_His mouth on hers, his hand on his shoulder, her hand tentatively resting on his chest. The night air, cool against her skin as she leaned back against the trunk of the tree…_

"Yuzu?"

The sound of her name jolted her back into awareness, her face reddening as she spun around. Byakuya was looking at her, holding out a bottle of water with one hand. As her eyes met his, he tilted his head to the side slightly in question, making her blush deepen. She quickly reached out, grabbing hold of the bottle of water.

"S-Sorry," she said. "Off in space."

Byakuya didn't seem totally convinced by her explanation, but he nodded, taking a sip of his own water. Yuzu turned away from him, taking a sip as well. She drank slowly, feeling her racing heart start to settle back down again.

"So?" Byakuya asked after a while, making her look up. He watched her expectantly, and she frowned in confusion.

"Hmm?"

"Your zanpakuto," said Byakuya. "How is it recovering?"

"Ah—oh." Yuzu placed a hand on Jungetsu's hilt, her smile growing slightly strained as she turned to face him. "I can go back into shikai now, which is much better than what I could accomplish last week, and I can actually use my shikai abilities, but I don't know…it feels difficult somehow. Like trying to use a sore muscle. I don't think I want to push my limits and try bankai."

"Probably for the best," said Byakuya, nodding. "In this state, you would likely only cause further harm to yourself and your zanpakuto."

Yuzu nodded, glancing away. Her grip softened on her sword, her fingers splaying over the hilt and guard. "Jungetsu-chan is…awake, but I can tell she isn't completely well yet. Simple conversations tire her out, and she's gone back to speaking to me through writing. She'll heal soon, though," she added, injecting a note of certainty into her tone. "I'm sure of it."

"She needs time," said Byakuya, his expression softening as he watched her. "But she will recover."

Yuzu smiled, recognizing his attempt at comforting her. This was a side of him that she had hardly seen before, but she had seen it quite a few times over the last few days while the two of them were alone. The thought that he was opening up to her, reaching out to her, made her feel warm inside, and she wondered if he ever felt the same way. She liked this side of him.

"I believe you," she said. "Thank you."

He frowned at her, and for a moment it looked like he might say more, but the door to the training room burst open and suddenly the warmth in his expression was gone, replaced with cool detachment as he glanced at the door. Nagai, their seventh seat, burst through, quickly bowing with his hands against his thighs.

"I'm sorry for bothering you, Kuchiki-taicho. You asked to be informed when the training exercises were almost complete?"

"I did," said Byakuya. "You may go, Nagai."

"Hai, taicho." Nagai inclined his head again in respect, hurrying back out into the hallway. Byakuya waited until he was gone before glancing back at Yuzu, who was watching the exchange with an amused smile.

"Duty calls?" she asked.

"Indeed." The corner of his mouth twitched in something that might have been the beginning of a smile, but he turned around before it could be fully realized, hiding his face from view. "I asked Shiyougi to keep me informed on this morning's training exercises," he said. "I intend to evaluate the officers' performance. Would you like to accompany me? I would value your opinion."

"I'd love to," said Yuzu, her smile growing warmer. She walked up to him as he started walking, following him out the door.

* * *

"So, why are we going to see your brother?" asked Toshiro, glancing at Karin as the two of them walked down the streets of Seireitei.

"I just have to get something from him," said Karin. "I'm not going to be there long. You didn't have to come with me if you didn't want to. Running errands probably isn't how you want to spend your day off."

Toshiro shook his head, following Karin around a corner. "I don't mind," he said. "It's nice to get out of the office occasionally." Karin snorted at that, saying nothing.

It had been Karin who had come up to him in the Tenth saying that she needed a break and that she was going for a walk—something to do with Zaraki trying to use her reiatsu-suppressing bankai as his own personal arena. He hadn't pressed too much for more details. When it came to the Eleventh Division, he'd learned that sometimes it was best to just let things go.

"You really need to get Matsumoto to help out with the paperwork," Karin said, lacing her hands together behind her head as she walked. "It's not fair for you to have to do it all yourself."

"Any ideas?" asked Toshiro dryly, glancing at her.

"Don't you have some third seat you can pass this off on?" asked Karin. "I mean, it's not like Matsumoto is the only shinigami in your Division."

Toshiro twitched, his mind going back to the time before his captaincy, when he had been third seat of the Tenth. "That's…not exactly an ideal situation."

"Right," said Karin. "I forgot." She fell silent for a while, lowering her eyes to the ground. Just when Toshiro was starting to worry something was wrong, she spoke up again. "Toshiro…" she said, making him look up. "Remind me again why you didn't tell me about my dad."

"I told you…" said Toshiro, frowning. "I never made the connection."

"But you suspected," said Karin.

"Yes, I suspected," said Toshiro, his frown deepening. "But I didn't know for sure. And when I did know, it wasn't my place to say anything." He glanced at her. "Does it still matter now?"

"No," said Karin, shaking her head. "I guess it doesn't."

They rounded the corner, nearing the Fifth's gates. The both of them came to a stop as the gates suddenly burst open, splinters flying as a figure in black crashed through them and landed on the ground. Karin blinked, staring as the figure rolled over, shaking some of the dust from the sleeve of his shihakusho as he tried to push himself back up.

"Rough day?" she asked, holding out a hand to the man.

Masa glanced up at her, his eyes widening briefly as he saw her there. He reached up, clasping her hand with his free one and letting her pull him to his feet. "You could say that," he said, holding up Setsuyoku with his other hand.

"Oi, Masa, that's enough," said Ichigo from inside the Division. Karin looked and saw him standing in the center of the path leading to the gates, Zangetsu in his hand. Blue energy still crackled and danced across the length of the blade. "You're done."

"Not yet," said Masa, Setsuyoku's form beginning to ripple and shift. "I can still—."

"I said, you're done," said Ichigo, scowling at Masa. He took a step towards him, then paused, his eyes widening as he turned towards them. "Karin," he said. "Toshiro."

Toshiro scowled, folding his arms. A vein pulsed in his forehead. "How many times do I have to tell you?" he asked. "It's Hitsugaya-tai—."

"Huh? Shiro-chan!"

Toshiro twitched at the sound of the nickname, quickly turning to the woman who had appeared behind Ichigo. "Hinamori!" he said.

Hinamori smiled at him, looking a little worse for wear since he had last seen her, but still better than she had been after Aizen. "It's been a while," she said.

"Yeah," said Toshiro. "It has." He paused, glancing over at Karin. She looked back at him, waving him off.

"You two should catch up," she said. "I'm just gonna go talk to Ichi-nii."

Toshiro nodded, watching as she walked away.

* * *

Karin's "quick" visit rapidly turned into a discussion of Yuzu's situation, Masa's behavior, Rukia's pregnancy, and everything in between. Toshiro hardly begrudged her that time. He knew for a fact that out of the three Kurosaki siblings, Karin was often the most distant, and it wasn't often that she went out of her way to see her brother. He sat on the veranda with Hinamori, watching as the siblings talked to each other in the shade of one of the trees in the courtyard.

Hinamori smiled, watching them. "I'm glad," she said.

"That they're talking?" Toshiro asked.

She nodded. "The captain won't say anything, but I know he's always worrying about his sisters. I can understand the feeling." She shot him a meaningful glance, still smiling.

Toshiro folded his arms, feeling a blush start to spread over his neck and climb towards his face as he looked away. Hinamori might have been older than him, but it was a long time since he had last thought of her as any kind of protector. If anything, he was the one who was trying to protect _her_, not that he had done a very good job of that. Old guilt came back to him, his expression softening as he looked out across the courtyard.

"How are things going?" he asked, to drive the memories away. "With the Division?"

Hinamori's smile faded as she looked away, her expression growing troubled. "As well as they can be, I guess…" she said. She drew up her knees close to herself, not looking over at him. "It's hard. It still seems hard…rebuilding again, getting everyone to trust each other again. I think it's because we all thought it was over, and to have us be here in this situation after fifteen years…it feels like a joke. But we'll rebuild." She forced a smile onto her face, looking over at him. "Don't worry about that."

Toshiro said nothing, looking away from her. He didn't think there was anything he could say that wouldn't undermine her efforts. Ever since the Winter War, it had always felt like there was a rift between him and Hinamori, something he couldn't breach. A wall he couldn't break through even if he tried.

Guilt. Regret. Shame. It touched both of them.

Hinamori seemed to sense his thoughts, because she looked away, her eyes sweeping over the courtyard. "It's nostalgic, isn't it?" she asked. "Sitting here like this? It's too early in the year for watermelons, though."

"That was a long time ago," said Toshiro, frowning.

"Maybe," said Hinamori, smiling as her eyes moved back towards Ichigo and Karin. "It's really exciting, isn't it?" she asked. "About Yuzu-chan, and also about Kuchiki-fukutaicho?"

"I…suppose," said Toshiro, glancing back at Ichigo and Karin. He'd never really thought about it, but he supposed Kurosaki Ichigo seemed more…animated today, almost excited. He could see why it would be exciting. Births were few and far between in Soul Society.

"What about you and Karin-chan, Hitsugaya-kun?" asked Hinamori. "Any plans?"

His eyes swept past Ichigo, landing on Karin. She was standing with her back to the tree trunk, a grin on her face as she spoke to her brother. His frown deepened, and he glanced away.

"Who knows," he said, folding his arms.

Hinamori said nothing more on the subject, but he could still feel her eyes on him, and long after leaving the Fifth, the question still seemed stuck in the back of his mind.

* * *

"So we promote Nagai-san to fourth under Shiyougi-san," said Yuzu, pursing her lips as she sifted through the personnel files in her hands. "And…we promote Shirogane-san to fifth under both of them."

Byakuya nodded from his desk, not looking up. "They perform as well as could be expected for officers of that rank. I see no reason to not promote them."

"We should hold off on promoting Shirogane-san for a little while," said Yuzu, frowning as she set Shirogane's file aside. "I'd like to at least finish Yamagishi-san's memorial service before we give someone his seat."

"We will hold off on all promotions until after the memorial," said Byakuya, continuing to write. "Yamagishi…and the other casualties deserve that much."

"Thank you," said Yuzu, glancing away. The memory of Yamagishi's death still stung, along with the memories of Koyanagi and Okada's betrayal. The three of them had been officers of the Sixth since well before she joined the Division and there were days when she still expected to walk into the mess hall and see them sitting there, Koyanagi teasing Yamagishi about something as Okada looked on and smiled. She shook her head to clear the thoughts, taking in a deep breath and looking back down at the files in her hand. "…That still leaves sixth, seventh, and eighth seat open," she said. "What about Kataoka-san?"

"Kataoka is not ready to be promoted to sixth seat," said Byakuya, frowning in thought. "I would be willing to promote him as far as seventh, but no farther than that."

Yuzu tapped the end of her pencil against her cheek, making a few marks down on the roster. "Hmm…so if we promote Kataoka-san to seventh seat, we'll still have sixth, eighth, and now ninth seats open. That doesn't leave us much better off than before."

"I have no issue with promoting Suga from tenth to ninth seat," said Byakuya, looking through his files. He paused, looking up at Yuzu. "As far as tenth seat goes, between Matsumura and Ogino, who would you recommend for the position?"

Yuzu frowned, considering their two eleventh seats. "Um…Ogino-san has seniority, so ordinarily, I'd say him. But Matsumura-san has been very active in the Division lately, and really stepped up during the battle in Rukongai. He's also personable and kind, although Ogino-san may still be slightly stronger. I don't know. It's hard to say."

"I was considering Matsumura," said Byakuya, looking back down at his work. "For those qualities you described."

"Maybe we should keep observing them, then?" asked Yuzu, glancing at the roster. "I'm sure if we asked, some of the other officers would have an opinion as well."

Byakuya paused to consider that, looking back up at her. "Very well," he said, after a while. "You may ask Shiyougi and the others for their opinions, but do so discreetly. These decisions are not final yet."

"I'll do that right away," said Yuzu, nodding.

Byakuya returned her nod with one of his own, beginning to write again. "Regarding our sixth seat position," he said as he wrote, "did you receive the file of the seventh seat from the Eighth?"

"Um…Okabe Mikoto-san, was it?" asked Yuzu, pulling the appropriate file out from under the pile on her desk. "Yes, I read it. He seems like he would be a good fit, if the Eighth Division can spare him."

"The Eighth wasn't badly hit by the battle against Kyoka Suigetsu," said Byakuya. "Ise-fukutaicho recommended him herself. Apparently, there is no room for advancement for him within the Eighth Division."

"Then, if he accepts, we only have our eighth seat to worry about," said Yuzu, writing. "I don't think Sugu-san is ready for that sort of responsibility yet."

"I agree," said Byakuya, glancing up at her. "Regardless, I'd prefer to fill the position with a Sixth Division member if any are suitable."

"I think that would be best," said Yuzu, nodding. "We'll already have Okabe-san coming in from the outside. But in case we can't find anyone, would you like me to start looking at other Divisions?"

"When the Fifth Division has finished their selection," said Byakuya, setting the pile of papers aside and picking up a new stack. "Since they were most affected by the betrayals."

"Of course," said Yuzu, nodding. She set aside Okabe's file, pausing to frown at the pile of folders on her desk. Yuzu reached for one folder, her fingers closing around it hesitantly. "Byakuya…" she began.

Byakuya glanced up, pausing in his work to give her a quizzical frown. "What is it?" he asked.

"Nothing," said Yuzu, slipping Kawamoto's file back into the pile. "Never mind."

Byakuya stared at her for a few moments more, unconvinced, before turning back to his page. "Regarding the vacancies," he said, "I was considering making an offer to Miyata."

"Miyata-san?" asked Yuzu, turning towards him. "From the Academy?"

Byakuya nodded. "In times like these, it seems prudent to make use of any resources at our disposal. You yourself have proven that Academy-trained officers can succeed in this Division." He frowned at her. "Unless you disagree."

"No!" said Yuzu, waving her hand and giving him an embarrassed smile. "No, I think it's great! I'm guessing that Miyata-san had a very good interview."

"Well, as to that…" Byakuya glanced away from her, his eyes moving over to the corner of his desk. Yuzu stared at him as he trailed off, eyes wide. The change in expression was slight, but she had gotten very good at reading him over the years. He seemed almost…embarrassed?

"Don't tell me…" she began. "You weren't paying attention?!"

Byakuya said nothing, but the way his eyes lowered further only confirmed her suspicions. Yuzu turned towards him in shock, but before she could say anything, a knock came at the door. The both of them looked up, turning towards it.

"T-Taicho…" said Kawamoto's tentative voice. "Fukutaicho…"

Yuzu exchanged a glance with Byakuya, looking back at the door as he straightened up. "Enter," he said.

The door opened, revealing Kawamoto Sakako. Her eyes were lowered, her head inclined in a bow. In one hand, she held an envelope close to herself. "P-P-Pardon the interruption," she said, her voice soft. "A-A message just came in for the both of you. From Central 46."

Yuzu tensed at Kawamoto's words, her eyes widening. She watched as Byakuya extended a hand and Kawamoto shuffled forward, placing the letter in his. She barely noticed Kawamoto getting dismissed, her eyes fixed on Byakuya as he broke the seal and began to read. His eyes remained cold as he read, his expression unchanged. As he reached the end of the letter, he exhaled, some of the tension in him replaced by a sort of weariness as he placed the note facedown on his desk.

"Well…?" Yuzu asked.

"They will be conducting a formal hearing," said Byakuya, looking up at her. "On the charge of high treason against Koyanagi Gorou. Our testimony is…requested."

"I see…" said Yuzu, glancing away. She looked down at her hand, noticing that it had curled into a fist on top of her desk. Her fingers were shaking.

High treason. It was a crime punishable by execution.

It seemed like no matter what she did, the universe was conspiring to have her kill Koyanagi Gorou.

"Yuzu…?" asked Byakuya, a touch of concern in his voice.

Yuzu shook her head, straightening up. She exhaled, forcing her fingers to uncurl. "I'll go," she said.

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED**

* * *

**Omake**

_11:00 AM_

Byakuya sat alone in the administrative office of the Sixth, a pile of papers spread out in front of him. The door to the office stood open in front of him, and he looked up at the sound of humming. Yuzu passed by the entrance, her hands clasped around what looked like a pot. She had a smile on her face, and wore an apron over her shihakusho.

He watched as she disappeared from sight, his eyes moving over to her empty desk quizzically.

* * *

_12:00 PM _

Byakuya looked up as Yuzu passed again, this time moving in the opposite direction. She was still smiling, a slight smudge on her cheek just to the left of her eye. He frowned as she passed, glancing back down at his page and going back to work.

* * *

_1:30 PM_

Byakuya looked up as Yuzu passed again, his eyes widening slightly as he noticed the large bag of things she was carrying with her. She didn't stop to look into the office, a determined frown on her face as she marched straight past the door.

* * *

_2:30 PM _

"Yuzu…" Byakuya ventured, starting to rise from his seat. "Do you need help?"

"No, no, it's fine!" said Yuzu, wiping off her brow with the back of her hand. Streaks of bright colors marred her face and hands, almost as if she had been painting. She flashed him a smile as she hurried past the doorway. "Please don't worry about it. I have everything under control."

Byakuya frowned, but said nothing, watching as she walked away again.

* * *

_3:30 PM _

Byakuya frowned down at Ichigo and Rukia, standing in the courtyard outside his office. The two of them looked back at him, Ichigo with a scowl on his face.

"Yuzu asked us here," he said. "No clue why."

"Nii-sama…" Rukia began.

Byakuya opened his mouth to speak, but before he could say anything, Yuzu streaked past him, an excited grin on her face. "Ta-da!" she said, and he had to quickly step to the side to avoid getting hit as she gestured grandly at the office behind her. A large cake stood on the table, each layer carefully decorated. "Happy First Anniversary!"

Ichigo and Rukia blinked at her, confused.

"Anniversary…" Ichigo began, his eyes widening.

Rukia's eyes widened as well, and she turned towards him. "Don't tell me…"

"_That's today?!" _they exclaimed, turning towards each other.

Yuzu's face fell, the color draining from her face as both Ichigo and Rukia darted past her, making a beeline for the calendar that hung on the office wall.

"Oh, wow, it is today!" said Ichigo, flipping through the calendar.

"How could we forget that?" asked Rukia, leaning in close to him.

Neither of them seemed to notice the way Yuzu twitched, a dark cloud seeming to form around her.

* * *

_4:00 PM_

"Yuzu?" Byakuya hesitated before reaching out, knocking once on Yuzu's closed door. He thought he heard the sound of sobbing. "…Yuzu, are you alright?"

"Romance is dead, Byakuya!" came the wail from inside. "It's dead!"

Byakuya said nothing, choosing that moment to move away from the door.


	4. A question of predictability

**A/N: **Well, some of you reviewers have been asking for…_feelings_ (**Kris**, I'm looking at you). Now, I'm not the best person to write or judge said…feelings, so I won't make any promises, but…it may potentially be in the cards. (The rating will not go up, however, so nothing descriptive will be happening. Just saying that right there. Of course, and I've done this with fanfiction not on this account, if anyone wants to take on the task of writing a scene that goes above a T-rating for this fic, they can ask me about it and post up their own side-story for all of you. Otherwise, imaginations. Use 'em.)

Anyway, enjoy this chapter. I took the concept of predictability from the last one and Yuzu's realizations from _Chasing _that she was her own person and not what everyone else expected her to be and just kind of ran with it.

HitsuKarin soon, but the next few months might be a little rough on them. Just a warning.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Bleach. At all.

* * *

**Chapter 4: A question of predictability**

* * *

The walk back from Central 46 was long, giving the both of them plenty of time to think. Byakuya walked beside Yuzu, his mind already going back to the last time Central 46 had stood in judgment of a shinigami. Back then, it had been Rukia, and he had not been asked to the proceedings. The verdict had come to him much later, and it was one that he had unfortunately chosen to obey.

Yuzu walked beside him, her hands clasped in front of her. She seemed pensive, her gaze far-off and a quiet frown on her face. Her expression hadn't changed much since leaving Central 46's chambers, although she had answered all questions clearly and truthfully. He thought back to her testimony, how she recounted the events of that night past Koyanagi's betrayal of him, the matter-of-fact tones in which she explained that yes, she had taken a contingent to track down Koyanagi and yes, she had disabled him using Senka. The only time she faltered was when Central 46 asked why she had not simply killed Koyanagi outright.

He remembered the way her eyes dropped to the ground, the telltale way in which her hands gripped onto her hakama tightly before releasing them, as she looked up to give her answer.

"_It was…a personal choice…" _

They had, thankfully, decided to leave that be.

Now, the interrogation was over. Central 46 was discussing Koyanagi's fate as they spoke, and Byakuya was left to deal with his betrothed. He walked beside her for a while in silence, aware that she was not alright, but unwilling to breach the stillness of her own thoughts. It wasn't until they swept past the Second Division, taking a turn down a busy market street, that he finally spoke up.

"Yuzu…" he said. "Are you alright?"

"What?" Yuzu's eyes moved back to him slowly, as if his words had pulled her out of a dream. She gave a slight start, looking up at him. "Oh—yes, I…I just…"

She trailed off, lowering her eyes to the ground. Her clasped hands seemed to tighten their grip on each other, her eyes darkening. Byakuya watched her, finding himself wholly unaware of the crowds parting around them. "Just?" he asked.

She shook her head. "It's nothing," she said. "It's stupid. It's just…Koyanagi-san never got a chance to speak for himself. That whole time…he wasn't even in the room."

Byakuya frowned at her. Of all the answers she could have given, that perhaps, was one that he was not expecting. He thought back to the night of the betrayal, to the way he had unwisely turned his back to Koyanagi as he faced off Okada, and his former fourth seat had used the advantage he presented. Before that night, he might not have thought any of his officers capable of such dishonor. "Koyanagi's guilt was clear," he said.

"I'm aware," said Yuzu, her eyes hardening at the memory. "That's why I said it was stupid. But it still doesn't feel right, doing a trial this way."

"That is the way it has always been done," said Byakuya. "Koyanagi will have a chance to speak at the sentencing hearing, but it will change nothing. His guilt has always been clear."

"I know." Yuzu looked back at the road ahead, her expression still morose.

Byakuya watched her, momentarily torn. If it had been someone else—Hisana perhaps, even Azami—he might have tried to shelter them, to gloss over the truth of what was coming. But he couldn't do that to Yuzu, and she wouldn't appreciate it if he did. So instead, he looked away, fixing his eyes on the road ahead of him as he spoke.

"Koyanagi Gorou is guilty of high treason," he said, unable to help the way his tone softened as he spoke for her. "He will die for that, Yuzu. It's inevitable."

"I know…" said Yuzu, and he caught a slight catch in her breath as she looked up. "I know what the law is, Byakuya, and I can't forgive him for what he did…for what he almost did to you, but I—when I think of Koyanagi-san, I remember how things used to be. Before he betrayed us, back when I thought he was my friend. A part of me still thinks of him that way and…I suppose it's sad." She lowered her eyes back to the ground. "…I'm sorry for being so weak."

"You are not weak," Byakuya said, surprising himself with the conviction in his own voice. "No one who has done what you have done for the Division can call themselves weak." He had never told her how proud he had been when he learned how she had held the Sixth together during his unconsciousness. He had never had the time. He attempted to do so now. "That you can feel for an enemy and still hold to your convictions does not indicate weakness, but strength, and in that, I have never found you lacking."

Yuzu offered him a tired smile, one that did not quite reach her eyes. "Thank you," she said. "It means a lot, hearing that from you." She lowered her eyes back to the ground, saying nothing more. Byakuya immediately began searching for a topic with which to distract her, his mind landing on the very subject they had spent the past week avoiding. He broached it almost without thinking. If anything, it would take her mind off Koyanagi.

"We have yet to discuss the actual wedding…" he said.

The words had the intended effect. Yuzu straightened up, a faint flush spreading across her cheeks as she glanced at him. "That's right…" she said. "We probably need to agree on a time, at least."

"We have until next spring," said Byakuya. "There is no need to hurry."

"I think we should have it this fall," said Yuzu, surprising him. He turned towards her.

"Why this fall?" he asked.

"Rukia-nee," said Yuzu. "You said that she would change her name after the wedding, and...it might be nice if that happens before she has her child. She's due in January, and," Yuzu looked back at him, giving him a shy smile. "I like fall better than winter."

The smile was contagious. He found himself wanting to smile back, caught in the grip of the same lightness that had settled over him in the week of being with her. Without realizing it, his expression changed, and he was rewarded for it by the way her eyes lit up, an inner radiance so bright she seemed to glow from it. He might have kissed her then and there, had they not been in the middle of a busy street in broad daylight and had he not been cursed with some modicum of decorum. Instead, he simply looked away, his eyes fixed on the road ahead.

"Perhaps September, then?" he asked, and to an outsider it might have seemed as if nothing had passed between them. Yuzu, however, was no outsider, and he caught the way she edged just a little closer, so that she was walking right next to him.

"Yes," she said. "I like September."

Byakuya nodded, the both of them turning down the path to their Division.

"September, it is."

* * *

The afternoon that day was pleasantly cool, with a hint of moisture in the air that spoke of rain. Yuzu stood in the Sixth's courtyard, watching as Shiyougi and Nagai led a group of shinigami in training exercises. In the weeks since the Kyoka Suigetsu incident, there had been a large focus on training the shinigami that were left, as though all of Seireitei was waiting for the other shoe to fall. While she admired their determination, Yuzu hoped that this would be the last incident for a very long time.

_But not long enough…_she thought, placing her hand over Jungetsu's sheath.

She rested her thumb against the guard, the metal cool against the pad of her thumb. In the back of her mind, she could feel Jungetsu there, waiting. Her zanpakuto spirit was resting now, curled up on her side beneath the surface of the pond. The cracks in the pond's surface had begun to heal, but a few still stood out, making the pond look like a cracked mirror.

She pulled her thumb away, watching the lines of shinigami as their swords crossed and they came together. Kyoka Suigetsu's defeat had bought them some peace, but she found herself wondering how long that would last. Ten years? Twenty? A hundred? She would still be alive in a century, would still be here, fighting. As long as they had to live, it was impossible that they wouldn't get caught up in another conflict. It was at this point simply an inevitability.

"You don't look like someone who just set the date for their wedding."

Yuzu jumped, turning around. Karin stood across from her, watching her with a frown on her face. She realized with a start that she hadn't noticed her twin's approach at all.

"K-Karin-chan!" she said. "You got my message?"

Karin nodded, holding up her hand. A black jigokuchostill stood perched on the tip of her finger, its wings opening and closing in the sunlight. Yuzu had sent messages to her family as soon as they arrived at the Sixth, telling them of the decision. Byakuya would make an official announcement once things were more settled, but he had warned that as soon as he did, gossip would circulate.

That was another thing she didn't want to think about. So far, the nobility had been content to talk about her from a distance, but it had only been ten days since the betrothal. She wasn't looking forward to getting caught up in all of that. From what her aunt had hinted to her, noblewomen could be ruthless.

A part of her would have almost rather gone back to fighting Kyoka Suigetsu.

Karin let out a sigh, taking in her twin's distracted expression. The butterfly flitted off of her finger as she ran a hand through her hair. "Alright," she said. "What's eating you? This doesn't look like it has anything to do with Kuchiki."

Yuzu shook her head quickly. "It's not!" she said. "I'm just…" She lowered her eyes to the ground. "…distracted, I guess."

"Distracted?" Karin lowered her hand, tilting her head and giving Yuzu a quizzical expression. "By what?"

"Um…how do I say this?" Yuzu thought for a minute, glancing at the shinigami training just a few feet away from her. "The future?"

"The future?" asked Karin, following Yuzu's gaze. Her frown deepened in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Whether there'll be another battle or not," said Yuzu. "How we'll deal with it when there is."

Karin blinked at her. "That's what you're worried about?" she asked. "Whether we'll have to fight again? That seems like a waste of time. If something else attacks us, of course we'll fight it. But if you keep worrying about it, you're not gonna have any time to enjoy the present."

"I know," said Yuzu, giving Karin a tired smile. "It's silly, isn't it? Me worrying about something that might not even happen for centuries. I guess after all this time, I'm still not used to fighting."

She remembered a time when the clash of swords had seemed unnatural to her, frightening, something so outside of the realm of things she thought she could do that her first zanjutsu lesson had actually filled her with fear. Now, her zanpakuto was a constant presence at her side, and her mind wandered idly to ways of improving her sword form. Jungetsu felt natural in her hand, and she could draw it without thinking. She wasn't sure whether or not that scared her, or whether or not it should.

Karin must have seen something of that on her face, because her sister walked up to her, coming to stand beside her as she watched the shinigami train. Yuzu said nothing, letting her eyes sweep over the practicing shinigami. She watched them with an officer's eye, unconsciously picking out mistakes, rough edges that needed to be smoothed over now, and things that could wait until more glaring errors had been corrected. That was another one of the changes she had been noticing in herself recently. More and more, she had been looking over things with the eye of someone who was in command.

"You know," Karin said after a while, keeping her voice low. "There's no reason why you have to fight. If you wanted to, you could probably retire today. You're going to be the Lady of the Kuchiki Clan…you'll still be able to stay in Seireitei. No one would think any less of you."

The words had the air of advice, a simple statement of options, but Yuzu's hand flew to her zanpakuto anyway, gripping it tightly and pulling it to her side as though Karin had threatened to take it away. Her snap reaction surprised even herself, and she exhaled, forcing her fingers to uncurl and her hand to fall back at her side.

When she spoke, however, she couldn't help the heat in her voice. "I couldn't do that, Karin-chan," she said. "Even if I don't like to fight, that doesn't mean I don't want to protect all of you. I'm still a shinigami!"

_And I'm proud of that. _

She was, she realized, watching the members of her Division. She really was. And she wasn't afraid to admit that there were some aspects of her job that she enjoyed. Being able to mentor people, seeing their strengths shine, knowing that what they did meant something. The feeling of being part of a whole, the camaraderie she felt just walking into the Division. There was even something in the training, something about pushing herself everyday, something in the discipline and the art of the sword that she found rewarding even if she couldn't always resign herself to its use.

At the end of the day, she _enjoyed _being a shinigami. She was _proud _of the strength she had obtained. And she _liked _feeling like it meant something.

Koyanagi, she realized, looking over at Karin. All of this self-doubt had to do with Koyanagi.

"Sorry," she said, realizing that her sister was staring at her with something akin to surprise. She gave Karin an apologetic smile, shaking her head. "I didn't mean to snap at you. It's just been a hard day."

Karin hesitated, before taking a step towards her. "Do you…want to talk about it?" she asked.

"I…um…" Yuzu glanced away, taking a deep breath. "…Byakuya and I had to give our testimony today. About a former officer, from the night of the betrayal. I guess I'm still thinking about it."

"You were close?" asked Karin.

"Not really," said Yuzu, looking up at the sky. "It just bothers me…thinking about someone I knew just waiting to die." Her mind went back to the confrontation she had had with Koyanagi, to the split-second decision that had led to her disabling him but sparing his life. At the time, Senka had seemed like the right choice—a compromise between her principles, her responsibilities, and the direness of his crime. Now that he was awaiting execution, she wondered if it would have been kinder to just kill him.

She ran her finger along the edge of Jungetsu's sheath, a frown on her face as she watched her subordinates train. She needed to do something with all of this restless energy. She felt like dry tinder, just waiting for a spark to set things aflame. Her eyes moved over the group, taking in the practiced patterns with which they struck at each other.

Patterns. Lines. Maybe that was her problem. Even her thoughts were predictable, running along the same lines. Like her fighting style, or so Byakuya had pointed out to her.

"…Ne, Karin-chan…" she said, without thinking about it. "Do you want to spar?"

Karin blinked at her in surprise, eyes widening. "Are you seriously asking?" she asked.

It felt oddly good to surprise her that way, as though she'd broken out of some perceived mold of what she was expected to be. Jungetsu had pointed out before that she was whatever anyone wanted to see.

Maybe what she really needed was to learn to be herself.

She offered Karin a smile, turning towards her. "Why not?" she asked. "It's been a while, and I've been training only with Byakuya and Shiyougi-san for the past few weeks. I think I need a…change of pace."

Karin looked taken aback, but nodded, her hand going to Ongetsu's hilt. "Well, if you're sure," she said. "Then, I won't hold back."

* * *

Yuzu felt Byakuya's gaze drawn to her hand, following the movement as she picked up a bite of food with her chopsticks and popped it into her mouth. She glanced down at it, slowly setting her hand back onto her lap. The bandages stood out stark against her skin, a reminder of the spar against her sister. His eyes traveled from her hand up her arm, coming to rest on hers.

"What brought that on?" he asked, setting down his own chopsticks.

The two of them were seated on cushions on the office floor, a meal spread out between them. It was dark now, and the lights in the office had been turned down low, the doors to the courtyard spread open to let in the moonlight and the spring breeze. In the distance, Yuzu could hear the sound of laughter as the rest of the Division took dinner in the mess hall.

It had become a habit over the past few days, the two of them finding time to eat together. She flexed her fingers experimentally, taking up another bite of food. "I guess we got a little carried away," she said, offering him a sheepish smile.

Byakuya frowned at her, raising his chopsticks to his mouth. "I was asking about the spar," he said.

"Oh, that." Yuzu looked up at him, a smile on her face. "You said I was becoming too predictable," she said. "So I thought I should try sparring with someone else, to see if I could come up with a new strategy."

"Your sister?" asked Byakuya.

"Karin-chan's very good at recognizing patterns," said Yuzu. "I knew I wouldn't be able to get away with it if I sparred with her." And Karin's Reiba wouldn't allow Yuzu to rely on her illusions either. It was part of the reason they had sparred together in the past, back when only her closest friends knew the truth about her zanpakuto's powers.

She wouldn't deny that it felt good, not the spar itself, but the freedom she had felt in surprising Karin, in doing something wholly unexpected. It was an innocent thing, asking for a spar, but in a way it felt like a late dose of rebellion.

"I see," said Byakuya. He took another bite of food. "And did you make any breakthroughs?" he asked.

"Maybe," said Yuzu, with a bright smile. She glanced away from him, and was pointedly aware of his gaze following her, drawn to her eyes and her smile as she looked away. She moved her head slightly to toss her hair out of her face and felt his eyes tracking the movement, felt the intensity of his regard. She lifted her eyes back to his face and felt her heart jump, a wave of giddiness crashing over her.

His eyes seemed to leave sparks of electricity wherever they touched her skin, and she wondered for one moment what it would be like to surprise _him_, to change the way he looked at her. Her eyes drifted over his face, dropping past his eyes to sweep over his nose and the curve of his jaw, resting for a moment on his lips.

Caught up in a sudden wave of daring, she leaned forward, pressing her lips to the corner of his mouth, just barely missing his own. She felt him tense at the contact, and her lips curved into a smile as she drew back, meaning to pull away.

She expected him to be surprised, but what she didn't expect was for him to draw her back down, grabbing onto her arm with a force and intensity that startled her. His mouth pressed against hers, and it was all she could do to hold on, placing a hand on his shoulder so that she wouldn't fall right into him.

There was something different about this kiss compared to the chaste kisses they had shared, a heady, intoxicating feel that scared her as much as it thrilled her. The hand on her arm hooked around her waist to pull her to him, his other hand tangling in her hair and pushing her against him. She felt his smirk against her lips and realized that she had been outplayed.

There wasn't time to think about that, though. He didn't give her time to consider it. His tongue swept across the seam of her lips, and she gasped, the motion sending waves of new sensation through her. He took advantage of her distraction to slip past her lips, his tongue exploring her mouth. It prodded at hers, coaxing it into wakefulness, and she squeezed her eyes shut, feeling her knees buckle. It felt like fire, liquid heat pooling in her belly, and she realized with a start that the breathy sound she heard in the back of her mind had come from her.

He pulled away slowly, lingering, his hands on her shoulders to steady her as he settled back into his seat. She was surprised to realize she was shaking. The heat in his eyes startled her. No one had ever looked at her like that before. She didn't want anyone else to ever look at her like that. As she drew her hand back off his shoulder, he caught it, and she felt the intensity of his gaze, his eyes never leaving hers as he raised it to his mouth and brushed his lips gently against the backs of her fingers, at the edge of the bandage.

The look in his eyes was both a warning and a promise, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to run away or to kiss him again. He released her hand slowly and it fell back to her lap, the food between them forgotten. Slowly, as if with great reluctance on his part, he turned away.

"You were saying?" he asked. "About the spar?"

Yuzu almost didn't hear him. She sat back on her heels as if in a daze, her other hand going up to trace the line of her lips. She could still hear her heart pounding, still feel herself wanting—what? More of him? Her eyes darted upward, meeting his briefly as he glanced over at her.

This time, she did catch the smirk, ghosting over his lips for an instant as he looked away.

Oh yes, she realized, she had definitely been outplayed. Outplayed and outmatched.

But oddly enough, if it led to that, she couldn't see herself minding at all.

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED**

* * *

**Omake**

"So, yeah," said Ichigo, setting the sheet of paper down. "Looks like they're having it in September."

"That's great," said Hinamori, smiling over at him from her own desk. "I'm so happy for Yuzu-chan. She must be excited."

"Yeah, I guess," said Ichigo with a shrug, beginning to look through the files next to him. Hinamori watched him for a moment before turning back to her own work. She pulled a stack of papers over to her, still smiling. Yuzu and Kuchiki-taicho's unconventional betrothal had been the talk of Soul Society for the past week, but Hinamori found that she was happy for the other girl. It was great that she had managed to work things out with her captain—

—Hinamori froze, nearly dropping the papers.

Wait.

Kuchiki-taicho's face flashed into her mind, and she immediately ran through a checklist.

_Captain? Well-respected and trusted? Good with calligraphy? _

Hinamori quickly sprang up from her seat, grabbing her zanpakuto and running to the window. "I'll save you, Yuzu-chan!" she declared, jumping out and running towards the Sixth.

Ichigo blinked, sitting frozen in her wake.


	5. April showers, May flowers

**A/N: **Ah, new relationship/"honeymoon" stage Yuzu and Byakuya are fun to write. XD And an example of how internal and external personalities can be very different—they're "their usual selves" around everyone else. Hopefully I haven't botched Byakuya up too much, but you guys don't seem to be complaining, and we don't actually know what a "healing" Byakuya would be like.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Bleach. At all.

* * *

**Chapter 5: April showers, May flowers**

* * *

Karin sat with her back against the Division wall, carefully rotating her wrist. It still felt a little sore from the fight she had had the day before, with a pair of lower-ranked officers. One of Ongetsu's biggest problems as a weapon was that it was top-heavy, so if she wasn't careful, it wasn't hard to let the scythe's momentum get the best of her. She lowered her hand, looking over at the group of new recruits Ikkaku was currently putting through their paces. Most of them looked varying levels of terrified, but a few looked excited at the challenge.

She remembered when she was standing there, in their shoes. It had been eleven years ago, almost to the day. Of course, things were different now. Tomorrow, she would get a chance to scare some new recruits.

"Hmm?" Yumichika stepped out of the door beside her, looking over at the recruits. He rested one hand on the sword at his side. "Looks like an interesting group the captain picked out this year."

"You think?" Karin asked, watching as Ikkaku yelled at the group in the front line and swiped his sword at them. They jumped back, faces pale. "Looks the same as always."

"I wanna play with Yocchi," said Yachiru from her other side, rolling over onto her back and staring up at the ceiling. "When's Baldy gonna be done?"

Karin frowned, her eyes drifting over the group to the lone figure standing in the back, one hand on her sword. Nakano Miyo was a recruit from the 77th District of Western Rukongai, and had been Yachiru's personal pick for the Division. So far, she seemed to be doing alright.

"Are you excited, Karin-chan?" asked Yumichika. "Having another woman in the Division should be a nice change for you."

"Rin-Rin's just upset because she's not special anymore," said Yachiru, rolling over onto her belly and propping her face up in her hands.

"I am not!" said Karin, sitting up and shoving at her. Yachiru grinned, twisting her body to the side and dodging the push. "Don't make up stupid stuff like that."

Yachiru's response was to stick her tongue out. Karin rolled her eyes, looking away from her and back at the group. She watched as Ikkaku started "testing" them one by one, a test that usually ended up with said recruit lying on the ground while the third seat moved on to the next one. Karin was just starting to work out how long Ikkaku's next victim would last when Yumichika spoke up.

"That's right," he said. "Since it's May already, doesn't that mean your birthday is soon, Karin-chan?"

"Ooh!" said Yachiru, sitting up. "What're you gonna do? Planning anything special with Shiro-chan?~"

Karin frowned, sitting up. She hadn't really considered what she would be doing for her birthday. After nearly seventeen years in Soul Society, it didn't seem all that special anymore. "The usual, probably," she said.

"Aww," said Yachiru. "That's no fun."

Karin shrugged in response, turning her eyes back to the practicing group. It wasn't as if they had ever done anything really special for her birthday, so this year didn't have to be different from any of the previous ones. She wished she knew why that answer bothered her, though.

She shook her head, putting the thought out of her mind as she focused on the group.

* * *

"And that concludes the tour of the Sixth Division barracks," said Yuzu, standing in front of the group of new recruits in the mess hall. The seven or so newly-minted shinigami stood in two straight lines, all facing her. "Are there any questions?"

She waited for a few moments for someone to speak, and when no one did, she looked over them. "In that case," she said. "I'll leave you to Fifth Seat Nagai, who will be in charge of your training. Miyata-san, Okabe-san, please stay with me. The rest of you are dismissed."

"Hai, fukutaicho!" the group chorused, a little too enthusiastically. Yuzu smiled, watching as the new recruits walked off to join Nagai, who was waiting for them by the door. She watched them go, then turned to look over at the two of that had stayed behind.

Miyata Seika stood with her hands clasped in front of her, looking down at the ground. Beside her, Okabe Mikoto, the former seventh seat of the Eighth Division, was watching the group of shinigami leave, looking amused. She turned towards him first. "I'm sorry for treating you like a new recruit, Okabe-san, but it seemed like the easiest way to orient everyone," she said. "I hope you aren't too offended by it."

"No, no offense taken, fukutaicho," said Okabe, turning towards her. "I was just noticing how organized things are here. It's definitely different from the Eighth. I mean, Ise-fukutaicho tries, but…" He shrugged, still smiling.

Yuzu smiled back. Okabe had an easygoing manner that she appreciated. It made her feel better about the fact that she was giving a welcome speech to a shinigami who had been in active duty almost as long as she had been alive.

"Kuchiki-taicho likes to keep things organized," she said. "He says it helps with the Division's reputation and with its morale when everyone knows where they are and what's expected of them."

"So I've heard," said Okabe. "I think I'll be just fine here, Kurosaki-fukutaicho."

"That's good to hear," said Yuzu. "So, um, as part of your duties as Sixth Seat, you'll be expected to help with the training of the new recruits and unseated shinigami, and you'll also be assigned to a squad of your own, most likely consisting of two to three junior officers and around thirty to forty unseated shinigami. Since you're new though, I'd like you to work closely with Shirogane-san, our Fourth Seat, until you're comfortable enough with how things work in this Division."

"Understood," said Okabe, nodding.

"I'll let you settle in now, but Shirogane-san wants to meet with you after lunch. I'll introduce the two of you when you come back to the mess."

"I'm looking forward to it," said Okabe.

Yuzu dismissed him, watching him walk away. Once he was out of the room, she turned to the girl beside her. She was still staring down at the ground, looking about as uncertain as Yuzu had been on her first day, when Shiyougi had led the orientation. "Miyata-san," she said, making her look up.

"Yes, fukutaicho?" Miyata asked, tensing.

"Regarding your duties as 20th Seat, normally we'd assign you to our ninth or tenth seat until you feel confident enough in your own position. Unfortunately, since we're still dealing with the consequences from the battle with Kyoka Suigetsu, our ninth and tenth seats are still new to their rank and position. So, I'll be assigning you to work with Third Seat Shiyougi's squad for now."

Miyata's eyes widened. "With—with the third seat, fukutaicho?" she asked.

"Don't worry," said Yuzu, smiling. "Shiyougi-san is easy to work with, and I have every confidence that you'll do well."

Miyata said nothing, but from the look on her face, it seemed like she didn't quite believe her.

* * *

"Renteki Seijuro," said Shiyougi, standing in front of Byakuya's desk. "A young shinigami with over thirty years of service. According to Iba-fukutaicho, he's been a loyal shinigami and hasn't had any problems, despite his nobility. He's the youngest nephew of the head of the Renteki Clan, which has holdings in Eastern Rukongai. Neither Iba-fukutaicho nor any of the other officers I spoke to could tell me why Renteki decided to apply for transfer to the Sixth Division."

"The Renteki Clan is sworn to the Kuchiki Clan. It is only natural that a vassal would wish to serve his lord in a greater capacity." Byakuya glanced down at the transfer request in front of him, running his thumb lightly over the corner of the page. "Or at least, that is what Renteki Shuntaro would say, if his nephew's actions were ever questioned."

"…Taicho?" asked Shiyougi.

Byakuya shook his head, looking back up at his third seat. Ordinarily, he might not have thought much about the request, except for the timing of it. It had come a scant two days after his announcement of the wedding, and it had come from a vassal family whose loyalties always seemed to be in question these days. He had no doubt that Renteki Shuntaro and his nephew were engaging in some kind of political ploy.

It didn't surprise him. On the contrary, he had expected this. Still, he would have liked to spare Yuzu from this insanity for a little bit longer.

He thought for a moment, studying the sheets of paper. If he accepted Renteki Seijuro, he would be allowing a snake into his Division. On the other hand, if he refused Renteki, it would allow Renteki Shuntaro to claim insult, saying that he didn't value the Renteki Clan.

"A minor lord would require some level of deference," said Byakuya, looking back at Shiyougi. "But within the bounds of the Gotei 13, an eleventh seat must still bow to a third. Speak with him. Treat him as any other officer candidate, and see what you can learn about his motivations and his temperament. If he refuses to treat you as an officer, make that clear to me."

Shiyougi inclined his head in assent. "Taicho," he said.

Byakuya looked up at his third seat, about to dismiss him when he noticed that Shiyougi was no longer looking at him. He continued to stand at attention, however, his eyes had shifted to the side, towards Yuzu's desk. Byakuya watched as his eyes moved over the sheets of paper spread over his vice-captain's desk, his expression unusually contemplative. Yuzu had thrown herself fully into planning the wedding, menus and guest lists mingling freely with the usual business of running a Division.

He looked away, telling himself not to consider what gossip had now and again said about Shiyougi Hideki.

"Taicho…" said Shiyougi after a while. "May I speak freely?"

"You may," said Byakuya.

"Does this have anything to do with Kurosaki-fukutaicho?"

Byakuya fell silent for a moment, meeting his subordinate's eyes. Shiyougi turned towards him, waiting. In all the years that he had served the Sixth, he had never been the sort of person to overstep his bounds or his authority. If he had been stronger, it was highly possible that he might have made vice-captain before Yuzu had been promoted to the position. A year ago, Byakuya might have said that he was one of the officers of the Sixth he could trust, but Koyanagi and Okada's betrayal had made him more cautious. The head of a Great House had enemies everywhere, but despite all that, he couldn't bring himself to believe that Shiyougi would do anything to deliberately harm Yuzu.

So in this, at least, there was something they could agree on.

"It may," he said.

"I see." Shiyougi let out a long breath, some of the tension seeming to drain out of him. Byakuya noticed that his hands had clenched into fists. "I have to be nice, don't I?" he asked. "When I interview this man?"

"You should attempt to cause as little offense as possible," said Byakuya. "Remember that you will be representing me."

"Politics isn't my strong suit," said Shiyougi. "But I'll try."

"You're dismissed, Shiyougi," said Byakuya, turning back to his work.

Shiyougi offered him a bow, turning to leave the room. It was only when he reached the door that the third seat paused, looking back at Byakuya. "Taicho…" he said, tentatively. "May I offer a word of advice?"

Byakuya frowned in response, looking up at Shiyougi coolly. Shiyougi's eyes moved over Yuzu's desk again, before turning back towards him. When he didn't respond, Shiyougi seemed to take that as assent. "It's the vice-captain's birthday in a few days," he said. "I'm sure she'd be happy if you remembered."

Yuzu's birthday. Byakuya let his eyes move past Shiyougi to the calendar on the wall, his expression softening slightly. It would be on the sixth of May. It wasn't that he had forgotten, but birthdays held so little meaning for him anymore. He hadn't paused to consider that for Yuzu it might not be the same.

"Thank you, Shiyougi," he said, looking back at his third seat. "You're dismissed."

Shiyougi inclined his head politely. Instead of leaving immediately, however, he lingered in the doorway, his eyes moving over Byakuya as though he wasn't sure what to say. Byakuya glanced up in impatience, about to ask him what he wanted, when Shiyougi's face broke into a smile. He ducked his head quickly, blurting out his thoughts in a rush.

"You've been a…lot more easygoing lately, taicho. I think she's good for you." Shiyougi turned away, as if embarrassed that he had spoken at all. "I'm sorry for the impertinence. I just felt like that was something I had to say."

Before Byakuya could respond, he ducked out of the room, closing the office door behind him. Byakuya stared at that door for a long moment after Shiyougi left, his eyes occasionally straying to Yuzu's desk.

* * *

Shiyougi's words were still weighing on his mind when Yuzu returned later, letting out a tired sigh as she slumped at her desk. He knew from something Shirogane had let slip that in addition to welcoming the new recruits and officers, she had taken the time to speak to each one of them, asking them questions about their families and hobbies and in general getting to know them. It surprised him sometimes how quickly Yuzu had ingrained herself in the fabric of the Sixth, or how tightly the Division wove itself around her. He had heard from Shiyougi and Shirogane about the response Yuzu had gained when she spoke to the Division the night of the betrayal, the way its members had immediately risen up in support.

The Sixth respected him. On some days, he might have even said that it admired him. But the Sixth loved her.

Looking at her now, it wasn't hard to see why.

"Byakuya?" Yuzu's voice drew him back to reality, and he focused on her to find that she was watching him, a puzzled frown on her face. He realized then that he had been staring. "Is something wrong?"

"No. Nothing," he said, quickly looking back at his own work. He stared down at the sheet in front of him, but the form had long since ceased to make sense. Instead of reading, he took in a breath, putting his thoughts back in order as he looked up at her.

"Your birthday is soon," he said. "Is there anything that you would like to do?"

Yuzu blinked, then looked away, dropping her eyes as if embarrassed. "Actually…" she said. "Karin-chan and I usually celebrate our birthday together, with Dad and Ichi-nii. This year, we're having dinner at his house. Rukia-nee will be there too, and Hitsugaya-kun probably. I…um…know it's probably not what you want to do, but you're welcome to come to that, and maybe after, we could…I don't know…do something else…N-Not that I'm implying anything!" she said quickly, turning towards him with wide eyes and gesturing wildly. Her face reddened. "J-Just—you know—walking or talking or—you know, something normal…I…"

She trailed off as he glanced away, lowering his head slightly to hide the smile that tugged at his mouth. He had been smiling more in the past few weeks, he realized, but only where she could see. Since Hisana's death, he had seldom found a reason to smile.

"Byakuya," said Yuzu, her eyes narrowing in mock severity. "Are you laughing at me?"

He raised his eyes to meet hers, his expression becoming smooth again. "Would I laugh at you?" he asked calmly.

"You did in Inuzuri," said Yuzu, frowning at him.

"I did," he said, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. He didn't know why, but he felt inclined to tease her, just a little more. It was the sort of inclination he had never felt with Hisana. So, keeping his face expressionless, he pressed on. "I seem to recall you were also similarly embarrassed in Inuzuri."

Yuzu's eyes widened, the color rapidly rising to her face. She turned away quickly, letting out a frustrated breath at the memory. "Mou, you're horrible!" she said.

Byakuya shook his head, glancing back down at the papers on his desk. When he did, the troubling transfer request was the first thing he saw. He frowned, sliding it beneath some of the other forms in front of him and putting it out of mind for now. He glanced up and saw Yuzu working on the wedding menu, her face still bright pink.

"…What time?" he asked, picking up the next stack of papers.

The question caught her off-guard, and she blinked, sitting up and turning towards him. "Time?" she asked.

"The dinner," he said, not looking at her. "On your birthday. What time is it?"

"Oh, um—we don't exactly have a set time, but in past years, we usually try and get there after work, which usually ends up being just past sunset, since Ichi-nii and Hitsugaya-kun always work late." She paused, her eyes widening as she looked up at him. "Wait," she said, "Does that mean you're coming?"

Dinner with Kurosaki Isshin and Kurosaki Karin was not how he would have wanted to spend an evening, but he thought he could tolerate it for one night. He paused in his work, meeting her eyes. "Do you want me to be there?"

She stared at him in surprise, holding his gaze. "Yes…" she said softly. "Of course."

"Then I will attend," he said, with the sort of finality that said the subject was finished. He turned away from her, looking back down at his work. Yuzu continued to watch him, her expression unreadable. He looked up at the sound of her chair scraping against the floor, and was surprised to find that she was walking towards him, a relieved smile on her face. He didn't realize until that moment how worried she must have been that he would refuse.

"Thank you…" she said, leaning forward and kissing him lightly on the cheek.

Byakuya froze, watching as she turned away and walked back to her seat. She looked up at him, giving him an embarrassed smile before going back to her work. His cheek seemed to burn where her mouth had touched his skin, and he had to actively resist the urge to raise his hand to it like a lovestruck schoolboy.

Still, he thought as he looked back at his work, perhaps an evening with Kurosaki Isshin would not be so bad after all.

* * *

When he arrived at the Kuchiki Manor that evening, Renteki Shuntaro was the last person Byakuya expected or wanted to see. He strode past the old man as he walked through the gates, only pausing to glance at him once in acknowledgment. Renteki had a smug smirk on his face, the look of someone who had discovered a particularly salacious bit of gossip he was dying to pass on, and Byakuya had a feeling he knew who the target of that information would be. With any luck, the man had only come to gawk, and would not have the gall to engage him directly.

It seemed, unfortunately, that luck was not on his side today.

"No greeting for an old friend, Kuchiki-dono?" asked Renteki, turning towards him. "What would your grandfather say if he could see you now?"

Byakuya came to a stop, keeping his eyes trained straight ahead of him. His right hand twitched, but he forced himself to keep it at his side, his fingers uncurled. He was long past the days when he had allowed himself to be ruled by his temper.

"Renteki Shuntaro," he said, keeping his tone level. "I see you have come a long way."

Renteki didn't comment on the lack of honorific, but observant as he was, there was no way the old man had missed the sting. Still, it didn't show in his voice as he turned towards Byakuya fully, spreading his arms open like he was expecting an embrace. "I merely wanted to congratulate my liege on his upcoming wedding," he said. "For the second time this year. Hopefully this one doesn't plan on leaving you at the altar, eh, my lord?"

"That would indeed be unfortunate," said Byakuya coldly, still not turning to look at him.

"Indeed," said Renteki. "I'm not sure the Kuchiki Clan could handle another scandal like that. Still, it looks like this girl won't leave you, at least. Pretty little thing, too. I can see why you made her your vice-captain. I mean, if she were working under me…"

He kept his voice level by sheer force of will as he looked up, his eyes fixing on the manor door. He knew Renteki wanted to provoke him—to force him to do something he could later use against him. He wouldn't give the man the satisfaction. "What are you insinuating, Renteki?"

"Insinuating?" asked Renteki. "I'm not insinuating anything, my lord. I'm just complimenting your choice of bride. Surely, you wouldn't think I was accusing you of doing anything…untoward. Still, it is interesting how quickly this girl rose through the ranks. She must be quite the shinigami."

"You'll find it runs in her family."

"Yes," said Renteki. "Her family. Tell me, my lord, did you give your sister to her brother before, or after you thought you had a chance to get into bed with her?"

Byakuya's eyes narrowed, his hand reaching for Senbonzakura. Before his fingers could close around the sword, though, a blast of reiatsu stopped him. He didn't need to turn around to know that Kurosaki Ichigo now stood at the gate, trapping Renteki between them.

"Who do you think you're talking about?" Ichigo asked, his tone dangerous. Byakuya heard the telltale sound of Zangetsu being lifted from his back, the fabric that sheathed it falling away. Renteki made an indignant noise, but there was a tremble in his voice when he spoke.

"Call off your hound, Kuchiki-dono," he said.

Byakuya did not look back, his hand slowly dropping away from his sword as he closed his eyes. "Unfortunately, that hound does not belong to me," he said. "Nor am I responsible for who he bites."

Ichigo's reiatsu flared again, and this time he did feel Renteki falter, the other man stumbling back and away from the two of them. With one last glare at Byakuya, he shouldered his way past Ichigo, stepping out of the courtyard and back into the street. It was only when he was gone that Byakuya allowed himself to relax, looking back over his shoulder at his brother-in-law.

Ichigo scowled, placing Zangetsu on his back again. He looked back in the direction Renteki had gone, before looking up at Byakuya. "Why is he not dead yet?" he asked.

"I've been told it's frowned upon," said Byakuya, looking away again. He curled and uncurled the fingers of his right hand, the hand that had been so close to drawing his sword. His reaction bothered him. If Ichigo hadn't been around, he might have drawn steel on Renteki and damn the consequences.

He thought he had learned more control than that.

"Tch." Ichigo let his hand fall away from his sword, still scowling as he stepped forward and into the Manor. "Bastard…" he muttered under his breath.

"Agreed," said Byakuya, causing Ichigo to look up at him in surprise. Byakuya ignored the look Ichigo shot him, taking a deep breath to blunt the edge of his anger. When he looked up at Ichigo, he was calm again. "Not that I am not grateful for your intervention, Ichigo, but why are you here?"

Ichigo's expression darkened, and he glanced back over his shoulder again, as if he still expected Renteki to be listening. "I wanted to talk to you about something," he asked.

He felt an unexpected pang of worry from the look in Ichigo's eyes. "Is it Rukia?" he asked.

"It's not Rukia," said Ichigo, shaking his head. "It's just something I wanted to say."

Byakuya frowned, searching his brother-in-law's expression. There was no anger to be found there, or pain, just determination. After a while, he nodded, turning away. "My study," he said, walking into the manor.

Ichigo nodded back, following him.

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED**

* * *

**A/N: **The Renteki (蓮迪, _lotus path_) Clan is a clan of minor nobles, sworn to serve the Kuchiki Clan. Their head, Renteki Shuntaro, has been vying for power within the Kuchiki Clan since Kuchiki Sojun's death caused a perceived weakening in the clan's hierarchy.

* * *

**Omake**

_Shinigami Women's Association, Monthly Meeting_

"Ne, Kuchiki-san," said Matsumoto, fanning herself with a sheaf of paper as she turned towards Rukia. "Have you heard from Yuzu-chan lately?"

"Not for a few days," said Rukia, frowning as she turned towards Matsumoto. "Why?"

"Well, we've been trying to see if she can convince your brother to come in for an interview," said Matsumoto, cupping her head in her free hand. "Everyone in Soul Society's talking about the wedding, you know. We wanted to get the story for Seireitei Communications before anyone else gets their hands on it. But she hasn't responded to any of our letters. It's such a pain~" She let out an injured sigh, continuing to fan herself as she leaned back in her seat. "I wonder if Kuchiki-taicho has anything to do with it."

Rukia forced a smile on her face, sweatdrops forming on the back of her head. "Don't worry," she said. "I'm sure nii-sama wouldn't do something like that."

"You think?" asked Matsumoto, tilting her head back languidly so that her hair spilled over the back of the chair. She sighed, slumping down further in her seat. "Then maybe the messages are getting lost in the mail or something."

"Y-Yes," said Rukia, her smile twitching as she made her way over to her seat. "I'm sure something like that is happening."

* * *

"The new officers are doing well," said Yuzu, keeping pace with Byakuya as the two of them walked back to the Sixth's administrative office. "Shirogane-san says Okabe-san is easygoing and works hard. She doesn't have any complaints. And Miyata-san—." Yuzu paused, her eyes wide as she opened the door to the office to find another stack of brightly-colored envelopes on the ground, all stamped with the Women's Association's seal. "—again?" she asked.

"Scatter, Senbonzakura."

A wave of pink petals emanated from Byakuya, tearing the pile of envelopes into shreds. Yuzu stared, her eyes wide as a piece of torn paper flew by her.

Behind her, Byakuya calmly sheathed his sword, stepping into the room.


	6. Of responsibility

**A/N: **Just a note, updates are gonna be a little bit slower than they were for _Chasing_ (probably once a week or even once every two weeks) for a little bit. This is because I've been working on this series since April, and am starting to feel a little bit of a burn-out settling in (this happens to me when I work on the same project for too long a time). I'm trying to shake it off by spacing out my Bleach fanfic writing with other projects, because I have a feeling you guys will appreciate slower updates more than my disappearing for months to years like in the middle of _Phases _and _Chasing _both (or writing half-assed chapters for the sake of an imaginary deadline, which has also happened to me in the past).

Also, you guys, HELP! I am incredibly stumped right now as to what sort of gift Toshiro would get Karin. If any of you have any great ideas, please send them to me. I promise I'll give you full credit at the beginning of the next chapter if I end up using them.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Bleach. At all.

* * *

**Chapter 6: Of responsibility**

* * *

Ichigo looked over the low table at Rukia, frowning as she laid her chopsticks down beside her, her face suddenly gray and pale. He watched with some concern as she raised her hand to her head, squeezing her eyes shut and pressing her palm to her face.

"Oi, Rukia," he said. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," said Rukia, not opening her eyes. "Just a little dizzy. Unohana-taicho warned me that I might start feeling light-headed soon."

"Maybe you should stay in today," said Ichigo, reaching out with his chopsticks for another piece of food. Rukia shook her head, taking a deep breath and opening her eyes.

"No, I can't," she said, sitting up. "Ukitake-taicho's out sick this week. Someone needs to help Kiyone and Sentaro with the new recruits." She glanced down at the chopsticks in her hand and the plate in front of her, then grimaced, pushing it away. Ichigo's eyes tracked the movement, his frown deepening in concern.

"Rukia…" he began.

"I'll finish it later," said Rukia, taking a slow sip of water. "I'm not really hungry right now." She set the glass down, looking up at him before he could comment. "So," she said. "What did you talk about with my brother?"

Ichigo glanced away. "Oh, you know," he said vaguely. "Stuff. Nothing important."

Rukia frowned at him suspiciously, but said nothing. Ichigo popped another bite of food into his mouth, wondering how she could have known about that. As far as he knew, she had still been at the Thirteenth when he dropped by the Kuchiki Manor the day before. Unless someone had told her, he didn't see how she could have known. But who would have? He couldn't see Byakuya doing it. Could it have been Maki?

His mind went back to the discussion he had had with Byakuya, just a day ago.

He took a deep breath, noticing Rukia was still watching him. "Look," he said. "I went to talk to him about the house…"

_The inside of the manor was cool, a breeze stirring the air. Byakuya led Ichigo to a large room, the walls lined with bookshelves. A low writing desk stood in one corner, a calligraphy set neatly tucked away beside several sheets of paper. A pair of cushions had already been laid out on the floor. He glanced at a servant on the way in and she bowed in response, leaving the room to fetch a cup of tea. _

_Ichigo watched her go as Byakuya took a seat on one of the floor cushions, before taking the one opposite him. He rested his hands on his thighs, his eyes fixed on his brother-in-law. Byakuya watched him calmly, waiting until the servant had closed the sliding door. _

"_What did you want to discuss?" he asked, after a moment of silence. _

_Ichigo took a breath. He had been thinking about this for the past few days, and it was clear what he had to do. He looked up at Byakuya. "I want to help pay for the house." Byakuya's eyes widened almost imperceptibly, telling Ichigo that that was not what he expected to hear. Ichigo scowled, continuing on. "Look, I get what you're trying to do, and I'm grateful, but I can't let you pay for everything. This whole thing about sending a nurse, and someone to clean—." _

"_I am simply doing what I can to provide for my sister," said Byakuya, interrupting him. _

"_But that's not your job," said Ichigo. "And it shouldn't have to be." _

_Byakuya frowned, but did not deny it, studying Ichigo. After a few long moments of silence, he spoke. "So," he said. "What do you propose to do?" _

"_Let me pay for something," said Ichigo. "It's not like I don't have anything saved up." He had been a captain of the Gotei 13 for fifteen years, and while living in the captain's quarters, he hadn't had much of a reason to spend most of his pay. _

"_A compromise, then," said Byakuya. "I will match whatever you put forward for the house." At Ichigo's frown, Byakuya eyes narrowed. "My sister is still a member of the Kuchiki Clan. Therefore, it's only fair that as the head of the clan, I shoulder _some _of that burden." _

"…_Fair enough," said Ichigo. _

"_I will also still be sending a nurse for the child, along with one of the servants to do the cleaning," said Byakuya. "The two of you are both high-ranking members of the Gotei 13. After the child is born, it would be unfeasible to expect one of you to be constantly at home, nor would you be able to bring the child to your Divisions each day. And as far as the cleaning goes, my sister will not scrub floors like a scullery maid. I will continue to send Sachiko to clean twice a week."_

"_Fine," said Ichigo. "You can do that, but I'll pay Sachiko-san for the days she comes over. The nurse too. You said it yourself—we're both high-ranking members of the Gotei 13." _

_Byakuya frowned at Ichigo, holding his gaze. "Very well," he said after a while, nodding._

"So, that's all it was?" asked Rukia, when Ichigo finished telling the story. She smiled, glancing down at her uneaten plate. "I thought it was something serious. When Renji said he saw you heading over there…"

Ichigo glanced away, his face slightly flushed. "Yeah, well…" he began, before turning back to Rukia sharply. "—Wait, Renji told you?"

"He said he ran into you outside the Third," said Rukia, still smiling. "He also said you told him not to tell me about it."

Ichigo scowled, looking away again. "When I get my hands on him…" he said, trailing off. He raised his eyes, looking back at Rukia. "You're not mad, are you?"

Rukia's eyes narrowed at him, and she folded her arms. "I'm only mad about one thing," she said.

"And what's that?" asked Ichigo.

"That you offered to pay by yourself," said Rukia. She flicked a clump of rice at him with her chopsticks. It struck him square in the forehead. "Idiot. You're not the only person who gets paid around here."

"Hey—!" Ichigo swatted at the rice stuck to his forehead, pushing it out of the way. "I didn't want to make you pay for something without asking you first!"

"You shouldn't have gone to talk to my brother without asking me first," said Rukia, scowling. "You can have some of my own savings for the house, and _I'll _pay Sachiko out of my salary. You can pay the nurse if you really want."

"Fine," said Ichigo, wiping the stray grains of rice off of his face. "Sheesh. If you're not gonna eat, fine, but don't throw food at people. What kind of example are you trying to set?"

"Like you're much better," Rukia countered.

"Oh, yeah?" asked Ichigo. "How about the time when…"

The banter continued almost all the way through breakfast, and by the time Ichigo finished and left to go to his office and Rukia left to head for the Thirteenth, he found that he had almost forgotten about yesterday, including about the incident with Renteki Shuntaro.

* * *

Hitsugaya Toshiro stared at the display window of the shop in front of him and wondered how he had ended up here.

As with a lot of things in his life, the answer to that question involved Matsumoto. He had been sitting in his office, taking stock of the paperwork that had come in since yesterday evening and getting ready for another ordinary day, when his vice-captain had reminded him that he still needed to shop for Karin's birthday present, and wouldn't take no for an answer. Somehow, she had managed to bully him out of the office, and before he knew it, he had found himself here staring at shop windows. He scratched the back of his neck, his eyes narrowing into a glare.

Even after ten years, Matsumoto seemed to think she was still playing the matchmaker.

He put the thought out of his mind, shaking his head and focusing on the storefront. It wasn't that he didn't want to come out and find a gift for Karin—it was just that Karin was sometimes a difficult person to buy presents for. Most of the traditional gifts were out—he'd seen what Matsumoto "thought" he should get her, and he knew for a fact that if Karin didn't react to those with indifference, it would be with outright laughter. Karin didn't want new clothes, she didn't need flowers, and he could count on one hand the number of times he had seen her wear _jewelry_, her brother's wedding and her grandfather's funeral being two of those occasions. He could take her out to dinner, but Karin would be just as uncomfortable in a fancy restaurant as he would be, and he couldn't think of anywhere else he could take her that they hadn't already gone to together three or four times. He could go to the world of the living to shop for her, but putting together the proper paperwork to access the Senkaimon and finding a gigai would take longer than the few hours he had given himself to step out of the office.

So here he was. Standing outside, staring at a shop window, and completely out of ideas. Toshiro scowled, turning away from the shop and walking down the street. He was just starting to wonder whether chocolate would be an acceptable gift or a cop-out when he heard someone call him from the awning beneath one of the shops. He looked up.

"Hitsugaya-taicho," said Kuchiki Rukia, sounding surprised. "What are you doing out here?"

He turned towards her. She was standing outside what looked like a tea shop, a paper bag in one hand. Toshiro realized that the last time he had seen her had been in the aftermath of the attack on Kyoka Suigetsu, when all of them had been gathered at the Fourth for treatment and debriefing. She looked well, all things considered.

"I'm just shopping," he said, aware suddenly of how odd it was for him to be seen outside of the office during work hours. Maybe Karin was right, he thought. Maybe he did need to get out more. The thought of the massive pile of paperwork that would be waiting for him on his desk when he got back made him rethink that and he put the thought out of his mind, feeling some of the color drain from his face. "What about you?" he asked, so she wouldn't notice.

"Ah, well—," Rukia held up the bag in her hand to show him. "I thought I'd pick up some tea for Ukitake-taicho."

"Is he sick again?" asked Toshiro, frowning. He hoped it was just his imagination, but he sometimes felt like the other captain was just a little bit sicklier than he had been two decades ago. It wasn't something he felt the need to point out to Rukia, though.

Her brow creased in concern as she glanced away. "He's doing better than he was yesterday, but he'll probably still be out for the rest of the week," she said, then, as if to change the subject, added, "What are you shopping for?"

He thought about giving her a vague answer but decided against it. Kuchiki Rukia had known Karin since she was eleven. Outside of Yuzu, Kurosaki Ichigo and Ankoujin, she probably would have the best idea of what to get Karin as a gift. "Actually…" he said, glancing away. "I'm looking for a birthday present for Karin." He felt his face flush, and hoped it wasn't obvious. "I don't…really know what to get her. Any ideas?"

To her credit, Rukia didn't laugh, or tease him like Hinamori or Matsumoto might have. Instead, she frowned thoughtfully, as if she were considering the question. "For Karin…" she repeated, tapping her chin with one finger. She paused for a moment in thought before looking back at him. "Why don't you tell me what you were already thinking, and we can go from there."

"Well, she's not going to want clothes," said Toshiro, glancing at the clothing store next to them. "So that's out. What about…"

Rukia nodded as he listed his suggestions, a thoughtful frown on her face as they started moving through the streets.

* * *

"And you haven't seen Kuchiki-taicho since then?" asked Kohaku, walking with Yuzu as the vice-captain moved through the displays of one of the flower shops in Seireitei. Yuzu paused to examine an arrangement of chrysanthemums, looking up at her friend.

"No," she said. "Not since this morning, anyway. He sent a message saying he wasn't coming in today."

"He's probably off shopping for your present," said Kohaku, a sly smile on her face. "I wonder what it'll be."

"I don't really need a present, Kohaku-chan," said Yuzu, smiling. "The fact that he's going is enough. What do you think of these?"

Kohaku tilted her head, examining the flowers. She made a face. "Nah, too gaudy," she said. "It's gonna be a traditional ceremony, right? You want something a little more subtle."

"Mm, I guess," said Yuzu, moving away from that display and beginning to look through another. "I should probably also think about what flowers will actually be available in the autumn."

"Yeah, probably," said Kohaku, shrugging. "Although I can't see why you can't just get the flowers from the Manor's garden. It's not like he doesn't have enough."

Yuzu's eyes lit up at the suggestion, and she turned back to her friend. "Kohaku-chan, that's a great idea!" she said.

"It is?" asked Kohaku, blinking.

"Of course it is," said Yuzu, pulling a small notepad and pen out of the inside pocket of her robes. "It'll be authentic and everything." She flipped the notebook open, pursing her lips as she scribbled '_Talk to Tatsuro-san' _on the first available page. Kohaku looked over her shoulder, blinking.

"Tatsuro?" she asked.

"Oh, um, Byakuya's head gardener," said Yuzu, slipping the notebook back into place. "I used to run into him all the time when I would train on the grounds. He's getting kind of old and he doesn't talk much, but he loves his plants and he's really nice. He sent me some cut flowers once when he heard I graduated from the Academy."

Kohaku stared at Yuzu, finally shaking her head. "You're unbelievable," she said, a smile on her face. "You know that?"

"What do you mean?" asked Yuzu, giving Kohaku a puzzled frown.

"Never mind that," said Kohaku, tugging on Yuzu's arm. "Come on, what's next on the list?"

Yuzu frowned as they left the flower shop, thinking through what she still had to do. "Well, I thought we could pass by that bakery, so I can get some ideas for pastries," she said. "The kitchen staff will be cooking everything, but Byakuya doesn't really like sweets, so that part of the menu is still pretty much undecided."

"Alright," said Kohaku, steering her in that direction. "Fancy bakery it is. Sheesh, you guys are really pulling out the stops for this thing, aren't you?"

Yuzu shook her head, smiling as she followed Kohaku down the street. "It's Byakuya mostly. Since he's the head of the Kuchiki Clan, everyone expects him to put on a grand celebration. I would have been okay with a smaller ceremony. Ah—I don't mind this, though!" she said, noticing Kohaku's change in expression. "Planning it is kind of fun—although I'm still worried I'm going make a fool of myself at the actual event."

"Oh, come on, you don't have to worry about that," said Kohaku, waving her hand in the air dismissively. "I'm sure you'll just win them over like you win over everyone."

Yuzu frowned. "Kohaku-chan, I don't win over everyone," she said.

"The evil and insane don't count," said Kohaku, turning a corner.

Yuzu hurried to catch up with her. "I still don't—."

Kohaku stopped suddenly, forcing Yuzu to stop as well to avoid crashing into her. Yuzu blinked, then looked up. Ahead of them, a shinigami was crossing the street, a paper bag in hand from one of the shops that dotted this area of Seireitei.

"Masa-kun!" Yuzu said, surprised.

Masaryu came to a stop, turning towards them. His eyes moved over Kohaku first, and to Yuzu's surprise, her friend tensed under that gaze. Masa's eyes lingered there for a moment longer than they should have before he looked past her, turning towards Yuzu.

"Yuzu…" he began. "What are you doing here?"

"Um…looking at decorations and things," said Yuzu, glancing away. "For…um…the wedding." The heat rose to her face as she spoke, and she realized with a start that she hadn't actually spoken to Masa much about the wedding itself. He'd been strangely absent for the past few weeks, and so, in the beginning, had Kohaku. As his eyes widened slightly, she looked up, determined to make up for that. "Um, you can come with us if you want!" she said. "I don't know much about noble ceremonies, so it would be great to have a second opinion."

Kohaku drew in a sharp breath at her statement, making Yuzu turn to her. She didn't miss the way Masa's eyes moved over Kohaku as if considering something, before turning back towards Yuzu. "…Maybe next time," he said. "I…have a lot of work to do today."

"Oh," said Yuzu. "Okay. Say hello to Ichi-nii for me."

Masa nodded, raising his hand in a wave before turning away. Yuzu watched him go, the crowd in the market district quickly swallowing him up until she couldn't see him anymore. She turned away from him, looking back at Kohaku. Her friend had her eyes to the ground, her hands clenched into fists at her side. An unusually pensive frown was on her face.

"Kohaku-chan…" said Yuzu softly. "Did something happen between you and Masa?"

Kohaku didn't respond, and for a while, Yuzu thought she hadn't heard. But then, she inhaled sharply, looking up as if she was waking from a dream. "No," she said, shaking her head. "It's nothing. Let's keep going."

"Kohaku-chan…" Yuzu began.

"I said, it's nothing," said Kohaku, grabbing onto Yuzu's wrist. She put a grin on her face that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Come on. Fancy bakery, right?" Before Yuzu could say another word, she started moving, taking off into the street.

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED**

* * *

**Omake**

_Women's Shinigami Association: Unofficial Meeting (Rukia and Nanao not informed)_

"Alright!" said Matsumoto Rangiku, slapping a pointer against the chalkboard. On it, a chibi Kuchiki Byakuya glared at the audience, his scarf and haori flaring out behind him. "This has gone on long enough. We need to get that story out of Kuchiki-taicho! Our reputation as an organization depends on it!"

Kiyone and Isane, seated in the front row, shrank back, droplets of sweat forming on the back of their heads. "So…what you're saying…" Isane began.

"…is that you just want the gossip," Kiyone finished.

"Of course!" said Rangiku, gripping the pointer tightly in one hand as stars appeared in her eyes. "This is the scoop of the century! Imagine how much money we'd get if we managed to sell it before Hisagi and the magazine can get their hands on it!"

Isane frowned, glancing down at her hands. "It's true that this has the potential to be very profitable…" she began uncertainly.

"So, we'll do it!" said Rangiku. "Now, if only we had a way to get Kuchiki-taicho's attention…"

"Um…" said Yachiru, leaning forward over the desk. "One time, when I was supposed to be training the new recruits but didn't, Ken-chan took all my candy and said I could have it back when I was done! So we just have to take candy from Byakkun!"

"I don't think that will work in this case, Yachiru-chan…" said Isane, turning towards her.

"No, wait," A grin slowly spread over Matsumoto's face. "This might work. Come on everyone, listen…"

She waved them closer with one hand, whispering her plan.

* * *

Yuzu wiped her brow with the back of her hand, leaning back and away from the plants she was watering. The sun shone down from overhead, a warm breeze stirring the grass. In front of her, a butterfly floated lazily from flower to flower. Overall, it was a perfect day. She smiled in contentment, humming to herself as she turned to the next plant.

Yuzu's eyes widened as a slender shape jumped out at her from the shadows, opening her mouth to scream. Before she could make a sound, Soifon placed her hand over Yuzu's face, muttering a quick incantation.

The watering can tumbled to the ground, spraying water everywhere.


	7. Moonlit flowers

**A/N: **Alright, you guys, I think I've found the sweet spot for updating times. After taking a week off this story, I felt guilty enough that I actually really felt like writing it again! So I'm going to _try _to get updates out at least once every _two _weeks, hopefully in less time than that, but possibly more. I'm not going to promise the two week thing, because long-running fics and deadlines have never worked out well for me historically, but I do feel like getting this show back on the road.

Thanks for the understanding! And also thanks so much for your suggestions! Toshiro's gift to Karin will be featured in the next chapter, along with the names of all of the contributors. I ended up taking two of your suggestions because they were all awesome, although one of them isn't actually a gift—just something that needed to happen.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Bleach. At all.

* * *

**Chapter 7: Moonlit flowers**

* * *

"_Happy birthday!" _

Yuzu caught Karin's eye as the greeting rang out in the clinic's dining room, smiling. Karin grinned back, the two of them leaning down at the same time. They both exhaled, blowing out the candles on the cake. Smoke curled upwards from the wisps as the flames died, the invited guests letting out a round of applause. Yuzu straightened up, her eyes moving over the people gathered there.

Isshin, Rukia, Ichigo, Kohaku, Masa, Hitsugaya and Seishin were all applauding, grinning at the two of them and in some cases, cheering, but her eyes moved past them, landing on the person standing at the very edge of the group. Byakuya's expression was as composed as always, but tension in his stance, the way he glanced at the others before looking at her, made him seem a little like a fish out of water. His eyes caught hers, and she recognized the confusion in them, the realization that he really wasn't sure what he was supposed to do.

But when his eyes met hers, he smiled. It was a tentative, uncertain smile, barely there at all. But she caught it anyway.

And she smiled back.

* * *

This was not how he would have chosen to spend his evening, but he found that he hardly had cause to regret it. It was true that Kurosaki Isshin was standing with one foot on the table making drunken pronouncements, much to the chagrin of his older children, and it was true that Kurosaki Karin's embarrassed threats to her father in an attempt to encourage him to behave were beginning to edge towards the vulgar, but he was seated between Rukia and Ankoujin Seishin, neither of which were unpleasant company, and Yuzu was happy.

So, that was enough.

'Happy' might have been an understatement. Watching her, as she moved between guests, chatting with her friend, before moving to ask a question from her uncle, before turning to greet whoever had just arrived, she practically _glowed_. He hadn't realized before how much she enjoyed entertaining, although looking back, perhaps he should have. Affairs like this had always been a chore for him in the past—he was and had always been a very private person. But Yuzu lived for making other people happy. He could easily see her hosting several gatherings as Lady Kuchiki.

The thought gave him pause, and he turned away from her, lowering his eyes back to his plate. He realized that as fast as things were moving, he had never truly asked her how she felt about the nobility. Renteki Shuntaro's comments came back to him, and he realized, as his hand tightened around his chopsticks, that the question went both ways. There was also the question of what the nobility might think of her.

"Nii-sama, is everything alright?" asked Rukia, turning towards him.

Byakuya glanced at her, turning away just in time to miss Kurosaki Isshin flying over the length of the table before crashing against the far wall. He didn't catch sight of which Kurosaki had thrown him—given the way Karin and Ichigo were yelling, he suspected it might have been both of them. He ignored the ensuing complaints from Isshin as he picked himself up off the floor, studying his sister. He realized that he hadn't seen her in a while, all things considered. The past few weeks had been busy for all of them. She looked tired, but well. He had heard that Ukitake-taicho was recovering from another bout of sickness and attributed Rukia's apparent weariness to that.

He knew better, however, than to suggest that she let someone else take over the Division. Rukia, like himself, had a strong sense of personal responsibility. She would not step aside while Ukitake-taicho was ill, and it would be an insult to her to ask.

He nodded instead. "Yes," he said. "Why do you ask?"

"It's nothing," said Rukia, glancing away. "You seemed distracted. That's all."

Distracted. He supposed he was. Byakuya looked up across the room at Yuzu again. She was talking to Hitsugaya Toshiro—the two of them were standing slightly to the side, watching with equal parts amusement and resignation as Karin and her father got into another argument. Ichigo stood apart from the two of them this time, running a hand through his hair as if signaling he didn't want to be involved.

He hadn't yet told Yuzu about the incident with Renteki Shuntaro, nor had he told her about Renteki's nephew's request to transfer into the Sixth. Shiyougi had met with the officer today and had declared him, much to his own apparent chagrin, to be much politer and more respectful than his uncle. Byakuya wasn't entirely sure he believed that, but he had almost been hoping that Renteki Seijuro would have insulted Shiyougi in some way. It would have made things so much simpler.

He knew that she needed to know. He just didn't know how—or when—he was going to tell her.

Yuzu noticed him watching and caught his eye, giving him a quick smile. He nodded in return, watching as she went back to her conversation. He felt oddly…guilty as he watched her speak with Hitsugaya, still wearing that radiant smile. Guilty both for not telling her what was happening, and for putting her in a situation where she would be affected in the first place.

Although, considering how it had happened, he supposed the last was not _entirely _his fault.

He felt Rukia's eyes on him and realized that she could not have failed to notice the interaction. Sometime in the past twenty years, she had become good at reading him, better than most. She, however, said nothing. She may have already heard about the incident from Ichigo—she may not. But if she had, she kept her thoughts to herself for the meantime. Instead, the question she asked took another turn.

"…Did you get anything for Yuzu, nii-sama?" she asked.

He thought back to the parcel he had left in the Sixth. "I did," he said, nodding.

"That's good." Rukia smiled, turning towards him. "I'm sure she'll love it, whatever it is."

Byakuya glanced at her and would have replied, had Ichigo's voice not drowned out all other conversation, overpowering even Isshin's whining.

"—Okay, that's enough! Oi, Byakuya! Don't you think he's going too far?"

Byakuya turned his head slowly towards his brother-in-law and Kurosaki Isshin, who was clinging to what appeared to be a…poster? The woman in the portrait had hair the same color as Yuzu's and shared some of her features with her. He assumed this must have been her mother.

"Why must I mediate this?" he asked Ichigo.

Ichigo shrugged. "You're the most impartial one here," he pointed out.

Byakuya supposed he couldn't exactly argue with that. He turned away from Rukia fully, facing the scene. "What—exactly—is the problem?" he asked.

He didn't catch the way Rukia hid her smile, lowering her head to chuckle into her hand as Karin and Ichigo started to talk at once and he stood up, making his way over to them.

* * *

The dinner ended a few hours later, when Rukia started complaining about feeling light-headed and dizzy. Ichigo left to take her home, and Byakuya seemed to choose that moment to disappear as well, taking Yuzu with him. With half of the party gone, including one of the birthday girls, and Masa and Kohaku not being very spirited on their own, Karin decided to call it a night.

She walked back to Seireitei with Toshiro, a frown on her face as she thought about her siblings. She didn't know what Yuzu was up to, but her twin's smile had been equal parts excited and tentative, as though there was something thrilling or secretive about leaving that way. She thought they might have been holding hands. And Ichigo—he'd left the house with a hand on Rukia's arm, despite all her protests about how she could get home on her own and was fine. He'd been as stubborn as he usually was when dealing with her—with anyone, but there had been a change there too, a noticeable warmth in his expression that she'd only seen before when she thought no one was looking.

Yuzu was getting married soon. Ichigo was going to have a child. And she…

She glanced at Toshiro, walking quietly beside her, as they made their way down the moonlit street. The light reflected off his hair. How many times in the past ten years had she looked beside her to see this exact same sight? It had been so long that she had almost forgotten what it was like to not have him there.

Ten years, and almost nothing between them had changed. It wasn't as if there was anything wrong with their relationship. They rarely fought, they rarely had real issues. And she was happy with that…wasn't she?

She was thirty-two today. In Soul Society terms, that meant absolutely nothing. Would it have meant anything different, if she were still human?

"Toshiro…" She didn't mean to speak, but the moment the name left her mouth and caught his attention, there was no turning back. He looked over at her, and Karin took a deep breath, keeping her eyes straight ahead of her. "Are we…is this okay?"

"This?" he asked.

"Our relationship," said Karin, looking away from him as they walked down the packed earth road. Lanterns hung from poles on both sides of the street, lighting the way. "Is it okay that we're not…" She shook her head, pursing her lips. That was not what she meant to say. "That we're still…" No, still not right. She scowled, and in frustration said, "Where are we going with this, Toshiro?"

He came to a stop. She stopped as well, turning back to look at him. His eyes, bright green, met hers. She caught confusion there, and caution; he thought he understood, but he wasn't sure. "What do you mean?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Nothing," she said, starting to walk again. "It's just, this whole thing with Yuzu. It's making me think. We've been together a little over a decade. Are _you_ alright leaving things the way they are?"

"Do you want to?" asked Toshiro, falling into step beside her. When she looked at him, confused, he looked off to the side, flushing slightly. "…Get married, I mean."

"Are you asking?" asked Karin, frowning at him. "Because now isn't exactly the time, Toshiro."

"I'm just asking to see where you stand," said Toshiro, still not looking at her. She thought she could _see _the flush on his face, even in the dark. "You wanted to know where things are."

Karin realized that this wasn't something they'd discussed. She looked back at the road, thinking through the question. "…I don't know," she admitted. "I mean, someday, of course. I just…don't know if that day is today. I mean, what's the hurry, right?" She frowned, looking over at him. "What about you?"

"I wouldn't mind," said Toshiro. "But you're right. We do have a lot of time."

"I mean, we're young," said Karin.

Toshiro nodded.

"We still have a lot of work to do with our Divisions."

He nodded again.

"We'd have to find a place to live, which I guess wouldn't be so hard since the Tenth and the Eleventh overlap." She scratched the back of her neck, letting out a puff of air. "I guess it wouldn't be too different from how we are now, except you'd have to live with me. More than you already do."

"We wouldn't have Matsumoto right down the hall," Toshiro pointed out. "Or Madarame and Ayasegawa."

"Or Yachiru, or the captain." Karin snorted softly, quickening her stride. "But let's be real. They'd come over all the time anyway."

"Probably," Toshiro agreed.

"I'm not very neat," Karin said. "Not in my own space, anyway."

"I noticed," Toshiro pointed out.

"I think I'm a terrible roommate."

"Yuzu survived."

"That's because she _had_ to live with me," said Karin. "And she has the patience of a saint. You don't. You have a temper."

"So do you."

"No arguments there," said Karin. She let out a long breath, slowing to a stop and looking back at him. "I can't tell if I'm arguing for or against this. I mean, what would it change, really? Besides my name."

"I…don't know," Toshiro admitted, meeting her eyes.

"And that's it, isn't it?" asked Karin. She exhaled, shaking her head and continuing to walk. "I like where we are, Toshiro. I'm happy with what we have. I guess I'm just worried that…if we change anything, things will change in a bad way. But if we don't ever change anything…" She shook her head. "I'm not a housewife, Toshiro. You get that, right?"

"I wouldn't expect you to be," said Toshiro, frowning. "I know that much about you."

"I can't cook. I'm decent at cleaning, but I don't do it as much as I should. I get into fights and have loud and annoying friends. I'm a high-ranking shinigami in a combat division. I keep odd hours, and there are times when I'm just not going to be home."

"And between me and Matsumoto, I'm the only one who actually does any work," said Toshiro, frowning at her. "You know what my schedule's like. We've been together long enough to understand that."

"Yeah," said Karin, letting out a long breath. "Yeah, we have." She folded her arms. "I guess we don't really have to decide now. At the very least, we can let Yuzu have her moment. It's not like since we're twins, we have to do _everything_ together." They were born on the same day and they had died on the same day. They could do some things apart.

Not to mention, getting married just because everyone else was didn't exactly sound like the smartest reason.

"We don't have to decide now," she said, because Toshiro was still watching her. "We can wait a little while longer."

Toshiro held her gaze for a moment more before nodding. "I agree," he said.

Karin let out a quick breath. "So, that's that," she said, starting to walk again. She turned towards the walls of Seireitei, looming on the horizon. "Come on, let's head back."

"Karin," said Toshiro, reaching out a hand. He took hold of her sleeve lightly, and she stopped, her eyes widening as she looked back at him. "Are you doing anything tonight?"

She shook her head. "Nothing except this," she said. "Why? Did you have something in mind?"

"Do you mind coming with me for a minute?" asked Toshiro. "I don't know if she's still awake, but if she is, there's someone I want you to meet."

Someone he wanted her to meet? In Rukongai? Karin glanced at the empty streets, as if expecting the person to materialize then and there. When no one did, she looked back at him.

"Sure," she said. "I don't mind."

* * *

The night was warm, the air heavy with the scent of late spring flowers. Yuzu followed Byakuya as they walked through Seireitei's streets, taking a turn down a familiar thoroughfare. It was still early enough that the streets were full of people, shinigami and other residents of Seireitei mingling in the doorways of softly-lit izakayas or walking down the street in groups of two or three, talking and laughing amongst themselves.

The two of them didn't pass unnoticed. They drew eyes, although nobody stared at Byakuya for long. Yuzu felt her cheeks warm, a small, nervous smile on her face as she looked bck at the ground. She supposed it was only natural that people would look at them, but it still made her a little uncomfortable. A part of her didn't quite believe this was real. Byakuya glanced at her, some slight concern evident in his features, before he took another turn. Yuzu followed, and by now, she started to realize where they were heading.

They passed a familiar clothing store, one that Yuzu had seen a thousand times when she was out doing errands, and turned down a smaller side-street, the path flanked by rows of trees on both sides. Yuzu hesitated, then looked back at him as they continued down that street.

"This is…the way back to the Division," she said.

Byakuya nodded. "I left your birthday present in the office," he said. "I hope you don't mind if we stop there first."

Yuzu's eyes widened, and she glanced away. "Oh—um—I don't mind," she said. As they walked, she looked up shyly, glancing at him. "You…didn't have to get me a present."

His reply was simple, but a thrill, sharp and electric, ran through her at the words. "I wanted to."

Yuzu nodded in response and then, because she couldn't quite trust her voice, fell silent, letting him lead the way.

The Division's lights were still on, the gates swung wide open to let in those that had gone out into the town. Gate guards, the few who were still in duty, straightened up sharply as the two of them passed. Yuzu followed Byakuya, giving both of them a smile and a nod as she stepped through the gates. She hoped they didn't see the color of her face, but as she passed them, she could feel their eyes on her. Yuzu looked away, feeling her flush deepn as she wondered how they would tell this story later on.

She had given up on curbing the gossip in the Sixth—it was the sort of thing that she wouldn't have been able to help talking about if she had been in their shoes. At the very least, the members of her Division were being respectful about it, and they never gossiped in her hearing—or at least, when they thought she was hearing. Byakuya, as always, seemed unaffected by it all. She envied his calm.

He didn't take them through the main doors of the barracks, saving them both the trouble of navigating the hallways that led to and from the mess hall. Instead, they veered off the path and walked through the gardens, into the small courtyard with a side door that led to the administrative office. Byakuya moved away from her to unlock the door and she followed, fidgeting with her robes like she didn't know where to place her hands.

The door opened, projecting a square of golden lamplight onto the office floor. The inside of the office was dark, but her eyes had adjusted enough for her to see by the lamps in the garden. A long wooden box lay on her desk, at the perfect height for her to open the lid without bending over. At Byakuya's nod, she walked over to it, placing her hands on the box.

The wood was smooth beneath her fingertips—it smelled fresh, like it had just been cut. It wasn't the sort of cardboard box she might have used to wrap a present for her sister or her brother. It seemed such a shame to open it and discard it. She slid her fingers along the side, looking for a seam. When they caught, she tugged upwards, lifting the lid.

Her breath caught. Inside was a kimono, folded neatly over itself. In the dim light, she caught the way the colors changed, from lighter colors near the top to darker colors below the obi. She thought those colors might be white and blue. There were ripples of silver near the darker bottom edge, like moonlight reflected on the water of a lake or the sea. Beside the water, she caught the impression of a village on a mountain. Her fingers brushed the fabric. It was so soft that for an instant she thought it might be made of water itself, that her hand would just slip through it.

She had never owned a kimono like this—had never worn one except for the time her uncle had taken her to what had almost been Byakuya's wedding, and she had immediately returned that to her aunt. Her fingers skimmed the fabric almost reverently, coming to a pause as they reached the obi. Here, she could feel the raised edges of the embroidery beneath her fingertips, except for the space where the family crests should be. Those were blank, bare silk beneath her fingers.

"I wasn't certain," Byakuya said. His voice came from just behind her ear, and she wondered when he had gotten that close. "Ryushin-dono gave you the use of the Ankoujin crest. I would not take that away."

Her breath caught a second time when she realized what he was asking, her fingers stilling across the fabric of the obi. He was offering her the Kuchiki crest, if she wanted it. She exhaled slowly, blinking tears out of her eyes that she hadn't realized where gathered there.

"…I can't wear this," she said, her voice hushed. She felt his hand on her wrist and realized that he was standing right behind her, barely an inch separating her back and his chest. "It's too fine for me."

"It is not," he said, his hand cupping her palm. His thumb brushed against her knuckles as she studied the kimono.

"Yes it is," she said, although she couldn't pull her hand away. "I'll look ridiculous."

His lips brushed the back of her ear. She couldn't tell whether or not it was deliberate, but she froze all the same. "You will look beautiful." She didn't say anything, her hand still on the silk. Byakuya drew back, and she wished he wouldn't. She wished that he wouldn't keep coming closer and pulling away, and something about that terrified her, because she wasn't sure what the alternative was—what she actually wanted him to do. Whatever it was, he didn't do that, instead stepping back to give them both some space and keeping only the lightest touch on her hand as he gestured at the box with his other hand.

"There's more," he said.

At first Yuzu didn't move—because how could there be more?—but when he didn't move, she reached forward, picking up a small box that was tucked away with the kimono. She opened it with one hand because the other was still trapped within his and no part of her wanted her to make him let go. Yuzu bit her lip, staring down into the box.

It was a necklace, its design elegant in its simplicity. It was silver, the pendant forming the impression of a circle. The lines looked like calligraphy, like they had been drawn with a brush instead of crafted in silver. A circle, with a flower inside it. A camellia on the surface of the moon.

She actually thought she might cry then—she placed her hand over the necklace and took a breath to steady herself. Yuzu felt his hand lift from hers—she might have protested that, had his hands not come up to take the box from her. The movement made her suddenly aware of the fact that his arms were around her from behind and she felt warmth flood her, making her wish he would come closer again. She was afraid to breathe in case she accidentally touched him, afraid to breathe in case it might make him leave again.

It took him a while to speak, and when he did, she felt like the calm in his voice was more manufactured than usual—like it took effort this time. "…Do you need help?"

Her breathing stopped because this was going _somewhere, _and she wasn't sure she wanted to go there but on one hand, she really did. She reminded herself to breathe, and nodded slowly, letting him remove the box from her hand. She heard the clink of silver as he removed the chain from the box—it was a soft sound, but in the silence of the space between them, it seemed deafening. He placed it around her neck, and the metal was cold against her skin.

His fingers brushed the back of her neck, moving her hair out of the way. They lingered there longer than they should have before he started working on the clasp. Yuzu briefly wondered why she couldn't seem to convince herself to breathe before his fingertips ghosted across her neck and she exhaled sharply, because that seemed to be all the encouragement she needed. The sound seemed to echo in the stillness, and he tensed, his hands gripping her shoulders briefly before he pulled away.

He was silent for a long time, and Yuzu was almost afraid to turn around to face him. She reached up with one hand to run her fingertips over the pendant, her other hand tangling in the fabric of her robes.

"…Byakuya?" she asked.

He said nothing, and she felt him take another step back. When Yuzu turned, he was deliberately not looking at her, his eyes fixed on the square of moonlight that outlined the courtyard. "…Truth be told, I had no other plans for this evening besides these gifts," he said. "I was wondering if you might like to join me on a walk."

She swallowed, because her mouth was dry, and she realized that he was trying to distance himself from her, to change the subject. Realized, with her rational mind, that that was a _good _idea, but could not help feeling slightly disappointed anyway. She exhaled, and the disappointment passed. She put a tentative smile on her face. "I'd like that," she said.

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED**

* * *

**A/N: **Brief explanation of that whole crest thing. A quick read tells me that women are/were not required to change their family crest after marriage. They could continue to use their own crest, their maiden crest, and pass it onto their daughters if they wished. (And a daughter did not need to take on her father's crest if her mother passed one to her).

* * *

**Omake**

_Shinigami Women's Association Secret HQ, Kuchiki Manor_

Yuzu struggled with her bonds in the corner of the room, sitting up with her hands tied behind her. A cloth around her mouth prevented her from calling for help, and she watched with wide eyes at the activity happening around her. Soifon, Rangiku, Yachiru, Kiyone, Nemu, and some other members of the Women's Association were all standing in a huddle, talking quickly in low voices.

"So, here's the plan…" Yuzu heard someone say. "Kusajishi-fukutaicho, when Kuchiki-taicho comes in through the door, you distract him."

"Okay!" Yachiru chirped brightly, holding up her sword.

"Soifon-taicho will subdue him."

Soifon nodded solemnly, one hand on the hilt of her zanpakuto.

"I have brought along a truth serum if Kuchiki-taicho does not wish to speak," said Nemu, holding up a clear vial. The liquid inside it glowed a noxious green color. Yuzu paled, making a few muffled sounds of protest behind her gag. "The serum is still in its testing phase."

Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed. "Um—maybe only as a last resort," said Kiyone.

A pulse of reiatsu threaded through the air, drawing Yuzu's eyes towards it. They widened. She recognized it instantly.

"He's here!" Rangiku said, the members of the women's association quickly running to their places.

"Remember the plan!" Soifon said, crouching down to the ground. Yachiru held her sword and sheath out in front of her, nodding.

The door opened, revealing Byakuya. Even from this distance, Yuzu could tell he wasn't happy. He stood in the doorway, his eyes fixed on Yachiru. She grinned at him.

"Everyone's ready for you, Byakushi~!" she said.

All over the room, people crouched, their hands moving towards swords. Byakuya's eyes moved over them coolly, pausing to linger on Yuzu, before looking back up at Yachiru. "Actually," he said, "I was simply holding the door."

Eyes widened. Before anyone could respond, Byakuya flash-stepped out of the way, disappearing from sight.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY SISTER?!" Ichigo shouted, barreling through the open door with his sword drawn. Reiatsu crackled, and people shrieked as he leaped into the middle of them.

Byakuya appeared at her side as chaos ensued, crouching down to undo her bonds. He pulled the cloth over her mouth down first, before moving onto the ropes tied around her wrists. "Are you alright, Yuzu?" he asked.

Yuzu blinked, her eyes drawn to the cloud of dust and reishi that seemed to be forming around her brother in the center of the room.

"_Ku—Kurosaki-taicho!" _

"_Calm down, Ichigo!" _

"Y-Yes," she said, feeling her bonds loosen. "I think so."

"_Everyone, run!" _someone shouted.

"BANKAI!"


	8. Open hearts

**A/N: **Sorry for the lateness, guys, it's been a horribly busy time. Hope you enjoy this chapter regardless and thanks for your patience while I take my…semi-hiatus? Whatever you call it when I'm still writing but at a markedly slower pace.

As a warning, updates may slow down even more in November because I'm participating in NaNoWriMo this year, on top of all of the other things I have going on.

Thanks go to **Mysticfolly **for the gift suggestion and to everyone who suggested Toshiro should take her to see his grandmother. All of your suggestions are much appreciated!

It hit me while writing this that Karin and Yuzu had almost parallel gift-giving scenes. I guess it makes sense, given Toshiro and Byakuya actually have _some _similarities in their personality.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Bleach. At all.

* * *

**Chapter 8: Open hearts**

* * *

Toshiro led her through the streets of Rukongai, keeping the wall of Seireitei to their left. Karin followed beside him, a slight frown on her face as they walked through lantern-lit streets. They moved westward until they crossed the boundary posts separating Southern Rukongai from Western Rukongai, and Karin's eyes moved over the sign with the district name as they passed.

Junrinan.

Something about that name tugged at her memory.

"…This is where you grew up," she said, turning towards the young man beside her. "You and Hinamori."

Toshiro glanced her way and for a moment his green eyes were unreadable, even to her. "…Yeah," he said. "I want you to come meet my grandmother."

Karin watched him, saying nothing at first. She had wondered, in the past, why he had never taken her here, but she had dismissed it as having something to do with Toshiro's sense of time. A lot of the shinigami and souls that had been in Soul Society for at least a century tended to deal with situations in a way that would seem horribly slow to anyone in the living world. She knew from her history studies at the Academy that it wasn't uncommon for issues to be left to lie for decades.

She'd also known, because how couldn't she, that Toshiro had problems reconciling himself to his past. He had never volunteered the information and she had never asked, but as close as they were, it was difficult _not _to be aware of it. She suspected it had something to do with the Winter War, with what had happened with Hinamori. She tried imagining how she would feel about her past and her family if she had been tricked into hurting Yuzu, not once, but twice.

She stopped because even the _thought _of it made her hate herself, and she left Toshiro alone. He would bring her here when he was ready, she decided. It wasn't as though they didn't have time, or as though she didn't have issues of her own.

Apparently, that day was today. Karin wondered what had changed. She looked around Junrinan and wondered what it must have been like to grow up here, and how long ago it had been. A group of children passed by the two of them, laughing and chasing fireflies. Unlike the lower districts of Rukongai, Junrinan looked comfortable, prosperous, and safe.

As if reading her thoughts, Toshiro turned towards her.

"I never really got along with any of the other children," he said. "I'm not sure if it was because of how I looked or because of my personality, but most of the others tended to stay away. Except for Hinamori, for some reason."

She thought back to Karakura Town, to her own childhood. Unlike Toshiro, she had never really been alone. She had always had people around her—Yuzu, the rest of her family, her soccer team and her friends from school. But aside from Yuzu, none of those people had ever been really _close _to her. She'd had people around her, but it wasn't the same. It wasn't because they had shunned her, or because they had never reached out to her. Unlike Toshiro, she had isolated _herself_.

"At least you had Hinamori," she heard herself saying.

Toshiro nodded. "I said it didn't matter at the time, but…I don't know. Maybe it did." He shrugged. "Anyway, she eventually went off to the Shino Academy. I stayed behind. I was too young, and anyway I didn't want to leave my grandmother. That's when I started having dreams."

"Dreams?" Karin asked.

"Hyourinmaru," said Toshiro, touching the hilt of his sword, "But I didn't know that at the time. Hyourinmaru was trying to speak to me, and because of that, I was changing the temperature in my sleep. My grandmother started getting sicker, and I didn't know why. I didn't know what it was until Matsumoto told me, and when she did tell me, I realized I couldn't control it. So I left."

"Did you ever come back?" asked Karin.

"I used to come here a lot," Toshiro said. "I didn't stay for too long, though, in case I hurt someone. I haven't been here that often since…" He trailed off, falling silent. Karin said nothing, understanding. "I try to come back at least once a month," he said instead.

"How old were you," she asked, "When you started at the Shino Academy?"

"Does it matter?" asked Toshiro, looking back at her.

"Probably not," said Karin. "I'm just curious. Give it to me in terms I can understand."

Toshiro frowned in thought, considering it. "If I were in the living world…I would probably have been about ten…maybe eleven."

"Oh?" Karin grinned. "So, you really were a grade-schooler?"

Toshiro flushed. "I was _not_!" he said, indignant.

"Whatever you say," said Karin, smiling. Toshiro scowled at her, but there was no real anger there. She looked back at the road ahead, feeling pleased with herself. At least his mood seemed to have improved. They continued to walk, Toshiro leading her down a path bordered on both sides by trees. Karin followed him, taking in the scenery.

"Seriously, though," she said, feeling suddenly self-conscious. "You should have told me we were doing this." She tugged at her shihakusho. "I would have cleaned up a little more."

Toshiro glanced at her. "You're fine," he said.

"You sure?" she asked. "I don't want to make a bad impression."

"Karin," said Toshiro, making her stop. He turned towards her, his eyes fixed on her. They had been together for ten years, but she still felt her face warm at the way he looked at her. "It's fine."

She looked away, quickening her stride to disguise it. "She's probably not gonna like me," she said. "Just warning you now."

"Don't worry," said Toshiro. "She'll like you."

"How can you be so sure?" asked Karin.

"I just am," said Toshiro. "Trust me. She wants to meet you too."

Karin exhaled, relenting. "If you say so," she said.

"We're here."

They had arrived at a house on the outskirts of the district, at the end of a wide dirt path. To Karin's eye, it wasn't much different from a typical Rukongai home, perhaps a little smaller than most homes in the First Districts were. She paused to consider it anyway, because it meant something to Toshiro, and the fact that he had brought her here meant something for both of them. It meant that he was opening up.

And for someone that was as closed off as he was, as they both were, that meant something.

The door to the house opened, light filtering in through the crack and out onto the street. Toshiro quickened his stride, and Karin followed suit. An old woman appeared in the doorway, smiling. Toshiro hesitated for only a moment, then paused to look back at Karin.

"Come on," he said, offering her a hand. "I'll introduce you."

Karin didn't hesitate. She reached out and took it.

* * *

Somehow, they ended up here again, sitting by the same still pond they had stumbled upon on their first outing. The night was warmer now than it had been, almost a summer night, and the moon was waning, a thin sliver of silver in the sky amid a carpet of stars. Yuzu didn't know how or why they had ended up in this place, only that it was familiar, and a much safer alternative than anywhere around the Sixth Division or the Kuchiki Manor. They had spread out a cloth beneath the tree, a box of dango from one of the street vendors between them. Yuzu had picked at a skewer, but Byakuya had not touched his at all. She remembered how much he disliked sweets.

She sat back on her heels, feeling his eyes on her, and gave him a quick smile, her eyes meeting his before she looked away and looked back out over the pond. One of her hands reached up, wrapping around the necklace he had given her. It was cool beneath her fingertips, and she felt her heart warm as she traced its lines, fighting down a giggle. She still couldn't believe that all of that had been real.

"It's nice to see that Rukia-nee is doing well," she said, to break the silence.

"She seemed tired," Byakuya said. "But…happy." Yuzu smiled. Even after a year, Byakuya still said that as if he were conceding a point.

"It's no surprise that she's tired," Yuzu said. "I think I would be tired too in that situation. Having to manage a Division while dealing with the house construction and a child on the way? It's amazing that Rukia-nee can handle all of that."

"Rukia is…resilient," said Byakuya, and Yuzu caught the note of pride in his voice, tempered with the hint of old guilt that would probably never fully go away. "I have no doubt that she will perform all of her duties admirably."

"True," said Yuzu. "And Ichi-nii will take care of her anyway." She leaned back, propping herself up on her hands and looking up at the moon. Her smile widened as she thought of her brother, the way he acted around Rukia. In some ways, he still acted the same towards her as he had when Yuzu was eleven, and Rukia was living in their house. It wasn't surprising that as a child, Yuzu had always thought that there might have been something more between them.

"They're such a good team," she said, almost absently.

Byakuya said nothing for a few long moments. Because his silences were nothing knew, she didn't notice this one until he did speak.

"…Are we not?" he asked, making her sit up.

She blinked. "Not—oh, a team? Of course we are. I can't think of anyone else I'd rather run the Sixth with. It's always been your Division. I don't think I would even be in this rank if you weren't here."

He watched her, and for a moment those gray eyes were unreadable, even to her. Yuzu shifted in place, because she suddenly felt like an Academy student again, like she was being watched not by the man who would become her husband, not by her partner, but by the mentor she had started with, the unreachable figure she had chased in her past. When he spoke, she wasn't fully prepared for what he did say.

"…You have achieved bankai," he said. "You have the ability to seek captainship in your own right."

"But I don't want to," said Yuzu, and she found she didn't even have to think about her response. "I'm happy at the Sixth. I'm happy working with you. I don't need to be a captain. I'm happy just being where I am now—with how things are." She smiled, lowering her eyes to the pond as she thought back to the Division and the people there. "I can't imagine ever leaving the Sixth, just like I can't imagine ever leaving you."

Byakuya paused, and although his posture and expression hadn't changed, she got the sense that he was hesitating. She waited for him to gather his thoughts and looked back at him when he started to speak.

"Then…" he said. "If that is the case, then there are some things I must speak to you about. But I warn you that this will not be a pleasant conversation."

She blinked, and felt a sudden stab of worry in her heart, her hands tightening around the fabric of her robes. Yuzu exhaled and forced her hands to relax, meeting his eyes. If there had been an emergency, something in Soul Society or something in the Division, something that would require actual battle, he would have told her. She was sure of that. Which meant that if this was a threat he was going to tell her about, it was a threat from a different source.

She breathed out, letting her face settle back into a smile, one hand resting on Jungetsu at her side. "I'm no longer the sort of person that gets intimidated that easily, Byakuya," she said. "Whatever it is, you can tell me."

Byakuya nodded. "You have a right to know, because this concerns the Sixth Division, which is part of your responsibility, and because it also concerns the Kuchiki Clan, which will soon be part of your responsibility as well. Most importantly, however, because it concerns you directly."

Yuzu was listening now. She turned towards him fully, her face set in determination as she waited for him to speak. And he did. He told her about Renteki Shuntaro, the head of a vassal clan of the Kuchiki that didn't often make appearances within Seireitei, and of Renteki Seijuro, a nephew of Shuntaro who was trying to transfer into the Sixth. He explained something about an altercation between Renteki Shuntaro, himself, and her brother, but he didn't get into details, stating only that Renteki Shuntaro had attempted to 'insult her honor'. Yuzu had a feeling that she didn't need to know more than that. When he was finished she frowned, troubled, and glanced down at her lap, resting her hands on her thighs.

"…Shiyougi-san has already talked to Renteki Seijuro-san?" she asked.

Byakuya nodded. "Shiyougi reports that the man appears to be an upstanding officer by all accounts. Komamura-taicho also had no complaints."

She thought about it for a minute. "If we…deny Renteki-san…that would cause trouble for you, wouldn't it?"

"It would be a perfectly legitimate move within the command structure of the Gotei 13," said Byakuya. "But yes, it would likely cause trouble among the members of the court."

"Because Renteki Shuntaro-dono would use it against you," said Yuzu. She frowned. "And…on top of that, if Renteki-san started complaining loud enough, it would also undermine the Sixth in the eyes of the other Divisions."

Byakuya nodded. "Renteki Shuntaro is aware that the Sixth's strength has always been in its reputation for discipline, fairness, and order. He is likewise aware, as is most of the court, that the Division is inextricably linked to the Kuchiki Clan itself. Anything within the Division deemed as 'mismanagement' could easily be used to point to the Clan itself as falling apart."

Yuzu nodded, her frown deepening as she looked out over the lake. She had known that sooner or later, she was going to end up getting dragged into politics, but to have to deal with something like that within the Sixth Division was a different matter entirely. She ran her thumb over the raised designs on Jungetsu's guard, exhaling slowly. "…If you think he'll cause trouble for the Division, then I'm not sure we should approve his transfer, but if there really isn't any other way, I guess we don't have a choice."

"That was my conclusion as well," said Byakuya. "I felt you needed to be aware of the context behind it, though."

"Thank you," said Yuzu, a tired smile on her face. "I appreciate that." It was troubling to think about, but at the end of the day, she was glad Byakuya had told her about this. She remembered how her family had kept the truth about Soul Society secret from her as a child. They had had all the best intentions, but all the same, she didn't want to have to go through that again. "So…what do we do now?"

"In the morning, I will draft a message to Renteki Seijuro saying that his request for transfer is approved and asking him to come to the Division for a briefing. I was considering having you meet him, if you're willing to do that. Renteki Seijuro is more likely to show his true colors around you than around Shiyougi, and you've tended to be perceptive when it comes to the motivations of our subordinate officers."

Yuzu glanced away. The words were well-meant, but the memory of failure still stung. "…Not perceptive enough to pick out Koyanagi-san and Okada-san," she said.

Byakuya turned towards her, his expression softening slightly. "Koyanagi and Okada were officers _I_ appointed, both of whom had served the Sixth for decades. You cannot blame yourself for that."

"I know that," said Yuzu, taking in a slow breath. "But I think…I probably will anyway. For a little while." She shook her head, looking back at him. "Sorry, I was just thinking out loud. Of course I'll meet with Renteki-san. It would make more sense anyway, since I briefed all of the other new officers."

"If you would feel more comfortable, Shiyougi can accompany you," Byakuya said.

Yuzu shook her head, her fingers lightly curling around her sheathed blade. "No," she said. "It's a nice thought, but…no. I think, if we're going to do this, I should show Renteki-san that I'm not afraid of him. Besides, I don't think he'll try anything in front of everyone."

"Very well," said Byakuya, nodding.

"What else?"

"You'll need to assign Renteki to one of the other officers for training. Since Shirogane and Shiyougi are already training new officers, I was considering Nagai."

Yuzu nodded. As far as officers went, Nagai was quiet and fairly inoffensive, but he was also, like a good portion of shinigami, from Rukongai. It would be a good way to test Renteki's true nature. "I think Nagai-san is a good choice."

"I was planning to speak to Nagai about it tomorrow," said Byakuya. "But, as for tonight…" He looked over at her, with a look that sent the heat once again rushing to her face as she quickly lowered her eyes, glancing away. "I believe we were celebrating your birthday."

* * *

The meeting lasted longer than Karin expected, but eventually, it came to an end. It was already late at night, after all, and even in Soul Society, older people needed to sleep. Toshiro's grandmother had been…much less criticizing than Karin had expected. She'd taken Karin aside a few times to talk to her about Toshiro, and she'd had stories. Karin grinned as she thought back to some of the more embarrassing ones, and Toshiro's reactions when he overheard what they were talking about.

At the end of the day, though, she'd sent them away with a promise to come back again some other time, and a bag of amanatto for Toshiro. He held the bag out to her without looking as they walked away, still in a huff from the last embarrassing story the old woman had told. Karin picked a single bean from the bag with a grin, tossing it in the air and catching it in the palm of her hand before popping it into her mouth.

"I like her," she told Toshiro. "We should come back some time."

"She didn't have to tell _that _story," Toshiro grumbled, scratching the back of his head. His face was flushed, a dark red staining his cheeks.

"Oh, come on," said Karin, nudging him with her elbow. "It was cute. Besides, you've met my dad."

Toshiro cringed. Karin understood. When it came to embarrassing parents, there was just no comparison. Isshin was in a league of his own. She matched his stride, settling in beside him as Toshiro slowly came back to himself.

"I'm glad you two got along at least," he said, as they approached the walls of Seireitei.

Karin shrugged. "Like I said, I liked her." She paused, because there was a question she had been wanting to ask for some time, but she had no idea how to start asking it without being rude. "Is she—was she—?"

"My real grandmother?" Toshiro asked, glancing at her. At her nod, he looked away again. "I…don't think so. Probably not. I don't know if I was born in Soul Society or not. I don't remember dying…but that doesn't mean anything. Infants die all the time." He exhaled. "It doesn't matter either way anyway."

"No," said Karin. "I guess it doesn't." They passed through the walls of Seireitei, entering the city streets. They turned off the main thoroughfare, heading back towards the Eleventh. As they approached the barracks, Toshiro glanced at her.

"Do you have a minute?" he asked. "I still haven't given you your birthday present."

Karin frowned. "You didn't need to get me anything," she said.

Toshiro glanced away, and she caught another flush on his face. "I wanted to," was all he said as he started walking towards the Tenth. Karin shot the Eleventh a glance before following.

The lights in the Tenth Division barracks had already burned low, only the lamps that lined the walls were shining. As Karin stepped into it, she was suddenly reminded of the time she and Toshiro had gone to the summer festival together, more than ten years ago. That was the day she and Masa had fought and manifested their zanpakuto, the day that she had first found out the truth about Masa's connection to her. They moved through the now-familiar halls, stepping into the Tenth Division's office.

The lights were off, and the office was empty. That wasn't a surprise. The only way Matsumoto would actually be in the office this late, in Karin's experience, was if she were either drinking or drunk. She followed Toshiro inside as he walked behind his desk, picking up a package wrapped in brown paper. He hesitated a moment before handing it to her.

"I wanted to get you something you'd like," he said. "But I wasn't sure what to get, so I had this made."

She wanted to tell him that he didn't need to get her anything at all, but that would sound ungrateful, so she took the box with both hands. "It's fine," she said, beginning to unwrap it. "I'm sure whatever it is, I'll like it." She tore the brown paper off, exposing a wooden box. Karin set it on the desk to open it, looking inside.

The inside of the box was lined in velvet, a wooden sword mount resting on top of it. Karin paused, running her hand over it. The mount had been made from dark wood, carefully polished. Along the base of the stand was carved an eastern dragon, its scales forming ridges beneath her fingertips. The dragon's body curved upward near the front of the mount, its head and arms curled around a dark circle, as if it was tracing the edge of the new moon. A pair of kanji characters had been carved into the empty circle, she traced them with her finger. Hidden moon.

_Ongetsu. _

It occurred to her that she must have noticed, in her room she usually lay Ongetsu on the ground beside her.

_**I like it, **_Ongetsu said in the back of her mind. He smirked. _**It's better than the ground, anyway. What do you think, Karin-chan? **_

What did she think? She paused for a moment to let her words catch up with her thoughts, which seemed to be either racing or had stopped completely.

"I—uh—It's great, Toshiro." The words felt inadequate somehow, but she didn't know how to say them better. It bothered her how words always failed her, in situations like this. "I—thanks."

He smiled at her, and Karin felt a familiar warmth spread from her chest. She felt her face flush, and resisted the urge to take a step back. As long as they'd been together, she shouldn't be acting this way around him, but there were days when he made her feel like their relationship was new again, all butterflies and moments where she couldn't find the words.

Today was one of those days.

"I'm glad," he said. "Happy birthday, Karin."

She smiled back. "Thanks, Toshiro."

And then, because she could, she kissed him, setting the box down and trying to express what she couldn't say in words. Maybe they didn't have all the answers yet—where they were, and where they were going, but they would find them someday. She was sure of that.

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED**

* * *

**A/N: **For those wondering about Toshiro's grandmother, yes, you'd expect him to have taken Karin there before that, but remember also that decade is just not that long of a time in Soul Society terms, so it's also possible that it just hadn't occurred to him (it took people 110 years to even get around to asking questions about Aizen, Urahara, and the Visored, and Rukia was a member of the Kuchiki Clan for 40 years before any questions even came up, so Soul Society is certainly no stranger to shelving things for unspecified periods of time.)

…And also I completely forgot he had a grandmother. So that one's on me.

* * *

**Omake**

Byakuya walked beside Yuzu later that night, the two of them heading back to the Sixth Division through the empty streets. Yuzu walked with her hand in his, their fingertips laced together. Despite the seriousness of their earlier conversation, she was smiling, her other hand tracing the lines of the necklace he had gotten her.

"I had a great time today," she said. "Thank you for coming to dinner. I know you don't always have patience for my family."

Byakuya thought back to Isshin's behavior and inwardly cringed. "It was no problem," he said. "It was…more enjoyable than I had expected."

Yuzu squeezed his hand in response, smiling up at him. "Thank you for the presents too! I love them."

"I'm glad," said Byakuya, letting his free hand fall to his side. Something small slipped from the pocket on the inside of his sleeve, dropping into his palm. He closed his hand around it, keeping his expression smooth. The shape of it pressed into his palm; it was round and cool, like metal.

He opened his mouth, about to say something to her, when Yuzu beat him to it.

"Also, um, thanks for not bringing the Seaweed Ambassador into anything!" she said, with a small, uncertain laugh.

Byakuya fell silent. Yuzu looked up at him, then lowered her eyes self-consciously.

"…Byakuya?"

"…It's nothing," said Byakuya, steering them back towards the Sixth. "You're welcome."

He quietly slipped the Seaweed Ambassador keychain back into his sleeve pocket.


End file.
